Truth And Consequences
by Nodakskip
Summary: Xander gets infected by that telepathic demon in ‘Earshot’ instead of Buffy, and Sunnydale is never the same again afterwards.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Truth And Consequences(1/2)

**Author:** Starway Man and Nodakskip

**Disclaimer:** The Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters are copyright Joss Whedon, UPN, WB, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar and probably a whole lot of other people as well. Parts of the fanfic are taken from transcripts of the relevant BtVS episodes, and so those segments belong to the writers in question. We won't be making any illegal profit from this story; all we're hoping is for some feedback here.

**Category: **Action, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst

**Main characters:** Xander, Ensemble

**Symbols: **" " denotes speech, ( ) specifies thoughts, and indicates mental telepathy.

**Continuity:** This takes place during the BtVS season 3 episode 'Earshot', and later moves onto some events of 'The Prom' and after 'Graduation Day, pt. 2'.

**Rating:** Overall R because of one word, with mostly PG-13 parts.

**Acknowledgments:** Thanks to Buffyworld for the transcripts of the relevant episodes.

**Summary: **Xander gets infected by that telepathic demon in 'Earshot' instead of Buffy, and Sunnydale is never the same again afterwards.

**Part One:** Veritas

J: "You want answers?"  
K: "I think I'm entitled."  
J: "You want answers!"  
K: "I want the truth!"  
J: "You can't handle the truth!"

(Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee and Colonel Nathan Jessep, A FEW GOOD MEN)

**Sunnydale****, California. Early May, 1999**

The Chaos demon was blind drunk.

Despite this though, Chaos demons were big enough and mean enough that the other supernatural creatures in town didn't call him out on it, but just gave the slimy thing with antlers a wide berth and hoped that he moved on soon.

Through a convoluted process whose details are unimportant, the demon's presence on the Hellmouth resulted in a series of events that were never meant to happen - yet nonetheless did, chaos being the unpredictable thing it is.

And the net result was that the very next night, the vampire Slayer Buffy Anne Summers fought two mouthless telepathic demons - in the presence of one Alexander Lavelle Harris.

In the Sunnydale cemetery, Buffy fought like a woman possessed. "Xander! Shoot him now!"

Xander Harris, somewhat unjustly labelled as the Zeppo, fired his crossbow; but his target bad guy just grabbed the wooden bolt out of the air, and broke it in half. "Ah, crap..." the young man muttered to himself.

But this gave Buffy her opportunity, as she pulled out a knife. She went to stab the demon in question with it, but the twisted-face creature just grabbed her wrist as she struck - preventing her from delivering the killing blow.

However, neither of the supernatural creatures had factored Xander throwing himself into the fray. As both demon and Slayer went off-balance from his tackle, Buffy recovered first and slammed the knife home.

Due to their positions, Xander was the one who got splashed on the wrist with the demon blood, as destiny started to change direction. Buffy just got up, glanced at the carcass to make sure the evil thing was dead, and then hauled Xander to his feet.

"Where's the other one?" Harris asked, before Miss Summers could say anything.

The Chosen One looked around, but saw nothing. "Guess he musta skedadalled, while he had the chance..."

She then looked at her companion, and was about to say that he shouldn't have done what he did...when Buffy realized that it would just be a waste of breath. Her Xander-shaped friend could no more stop himself from stupidly risking his life like that, than her beloved called Angel could stop brooding - or her Watcher Rupert Giles could stop thinking.

So the Buff-meister just said, "Want me to walk you home?"

Now contrary to established public opinion, Xander wasn't an idiot. He'd seen that expression on the blonde girl's face before, and knew perfectly well what she wasn't saying; and that Buffy was trying to think of a polite way to tell him he wasn't needed on forays like this these days.

That he shouldn't put his ass in danger like that, and that he should stay out of the supernatural stuff - for his own good.

Sometimes, Xander suspected that if the Buffy of today had had her current mindset back during sophomore year, when she'd drowned in the Master's cave...she would have yelled at him afterwards, for going down there. Despite him having saved her life...

The truth was that ever since senior year had started, Harris had been getting pushed out of the Scooby gang's activities more and more. Xander knew that he had become the outsider amongst a group of outsiders; and if it wasn't the fact that he loved Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg more than life itself - he might have stopped hanging out with them months ago.

The guy just looked around and said, "Hey, isn't this the same cemetery where we talked around Valentine's Day, last year? You know, when I showed you that locket I got for Cordy?"

Buffy looked around, unsure. "I dunno..." she responded. Then her face lit up, "Oh, yeah, I remember now! And ya know what? Slaying is definitely more complicated than dating, these days..."

Xander shrugged. "I wouldn't know. After all, I've been of the desperate and dateless ever since Cordelia started hating me, and Faith tried to strangle me to death..."

Buffy shrugged back, her mind already dismissing the topic and deep into her own thoughts; and as they walked off together, Xander's hand glowed briefly from where the demon's blood had touched him.

Sunnydale High School. The next day 

A meeting had just finished taking place between Giles, Xander, Buffy, Willow, and her boyfriend Oz. The latecomer to the meeting, the one and only Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, had announced that the demon Azarath would not in any way be involved with Mayor Richard Wilkins' upcoming Ascension; when all the students got up and left.

All of them, that is, except Xander.

"Giles has told us already about that. Now, ya mind leaving Monarchy Boy? I got something private to discuss with the real Watcher around here," Xander said cuttingly to Wes. As he intensely disliked the younger British man, on account of his ex Cordelia Chase flirted with Wes shamelessly.

Wesley shook his head. "If it's something to do with the Slayer's activities last night, then I should be the one who-"

Xander just glared silently, and unusually for him - the Council operative took the hint and left.

Giles noted, "Xander, not that I'm Wesley's greatest fan or anything, but-but that was rather tactless and rude..."

( Ah, right, the ol' double-standard. Only Buffy gets to do that to Wesley! ) Harris thought, and then he shrugged. "Whatever. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What's it about, then?"

Xander scratched his hand, and told him the details of last night's adventure. "It's itching like crazy from where I think Scabby Demon splashed me, G-man. Uh, but it's not like its blood would be poisonous or anything, right?"

Rupert's expression didn't reassure the teenager. "RIGHT?"

Giles said simply, "Come back after lunch, hopefully I'll have identified the demon's species by then..."

Later in the library, Giles was staring at a book; and he handed it over to his young acquaintance, who was more than a little anxious about all this. "Is that the demon you and Buffy encountered?"

Xander took the ancient tome and grimaced at the picture. "In the oh-so-disgusting flesh. So what's the what, Giles?"

The librarian took back the book, and started reading it more thoroughly. "Hmmm..."

That just caused Harris to panic. "What?"

Giles just said musingly, "It says that they can infect the host."

Xander started to panic even more. "Infect?" Giles kept on reading, though. "GILES! INFECT? What does that mean?"

"Oh, um, infect the host with an aspect of the demon. That's all it says."

Xander grabbed the book for himself, but within three seconds tossed it away. Rupert said simply, "Yes, rather terse I'm afraid - isn't it? But don't worry, I'll consult all my books; I'm sure I'll be able to come up with more information soon-"

"Soon? What does soon mean, Watcher man? Because, remember that fun-filled episode with the swim team this time last year? Ya know, I really don't want to become a demon here!"

Giles sighed. ( The boy has a good heart, I'll admit, but God help us all - he does tend to over-dramatize things, in such a hypochondriac sort of way! ) "Like I said back then, let's not break out the tartar sauce just yet. Xander, have you considered the possibility that all this is actually nothing? You were simply exposed to a new washing powder, or some such thing? Maybe we should just wait and see if the itching goes away..."

But Harris didn't accept that, and just stormed out of the library.

Sunnydale High School quad. Later in the day 

At a pep rally being held for the basketball team, Cordelia and her fellow cheerleaders were definitely inspiring the crowds. They cheered their hearts out, and the student body were enthralled by them and the team's star players.

Xander sat next to Oz in the stands, while Buffy and Willow were engaged in some girl talk not far away. But Harris paid them no attention; his gaze was focused solely on one particular brunette beauty, in a very tantalizing cheerleader's uniform.

( Too bad it's over between us, ) Xander thought to himself wistfully, while quickly running his fingers across his forehead. ( Because I remember now what I saw in Cordelia...physically, at least. )

Oz turned at that moment, and saw his companion with his hands on his scalp. "There a problem?"

Xander didn't want to say he was checking for horns or whatever, and so babbled, "Psoriasis, it runs in the family. I knew I should have gone to that hair care expo back during Halloween last year!"

Oz just nodded and accepted that. "Cordelia did invite you, as I recall."

( Okay, that hurt. ) Wanting to change the subject, Xander pointed at the cheerleaders and said, "They really are very good!"

Daniel Osborne shrugged. "Their spelling's improved."

Xander again started to babble, "You know Oz, I look at all this beauty, all these healthy young women - and I wonder why I ever wasted my time on Cordelia. I mean, look at her. She's no better-looking than the rest of them!"

Oz had no firm opinion on the subject, as he only had eyes for one particular redhead. Wolves mate for life, after all. "None of them are really my-"

But Xander interrupted, "Oh my God, he's looking at her!" The musician noted that Wesley the Watcher was a short distance away on the stairs, staring at Cordelia in awe. "He's got his filthy adult Pierce Brosnan-y eyes all over my Cordy!"

The werewolf stared at his companion, with his trademark equanimity. "You're a very complex man, aren't you?"

Xander watched Wesley leave, and then fastened his gaze back upon Miss Chase. Or to be more accurate, as Oz noticed, her magnificent chest; as that was where most people's eyes were initially drawn to. ( No! Bad Xander. Do not start thinking about Cordy breasts! )

Oz then told the black-haired young man, "Seriously though. If you want her back, it's been a few months - maybe if you grovel hard enough-"

Xander instantly shook his head, though. "No point, man. That ship has sailed. And hey, I'd be more worried if Cordy did take me back - because you know what? It would be a sure sign of the upcoming Apocalypse!"

Oz contemplated that. "Scary."

1630 Revello Drive. Later that night 

At the Summers residence that evening, Xander showed up to meet with Buffy for her patrol that night - eschewing the upcoming basketball game. He was hoping they could straighten a few things out from the previous evening; and the male teenager really felt like they had to talk.

Joyce opened the door, there being no one named Dawn Summers present yet. "Xander? Hello, dear. What are you doing here?"

"Well ma'am, the Xan-man came by for patrol - with the Big Bad Buff," Harris tried to drawl out in a stereotypical redneck way.

/ Dear God, that's the worst attempted Texan accent I've ever heard in my life/ the young man clearly heard.

Xander looked up, somewhat surprised that Joyce would say that to his face - even if he hadn't seen her lips move. But he never got the chance to say anything as Buffy's mother said, "I'm sorry, Xander, but Buffy left over half an hour ago. Are you sure you two were supposed to meet up tonight?"

"Pretty much..." Xander didn't say it, but he knew instinctively that Buffy had done this in order to avoid him. ( Just great. Well, guess it's an improvement over the whole 'I'm washing my hair tonight' thing... )

Joyce gestured for him to come in. / Now you've gotten me all worried about my little girl... / "Xander, there's no need for me to be especially worried about Buffy being alone out there tonight - right?"

Harris shrugged, missing out on the fact that Joyce hadn't verbalized the first part of the conversation. "Don't think so, Mrs. S. Besides, knowing him, Angel's already hooked up with the Buffster by now..."

Then Xander's eyes bulged out, as a raging, semi-chaotic stream of thought blasted at him from the middle-aged woman's mind. "What?" he choked out.

Joyce looked confused. "What, what?"

"What you just said!"

Mrs. Summers was even more confused now. "But I didn't say anything!" She then pulled herself together, "Xander, aren't you going to come in?"

But the boy just shook his head in amazement, as he backed off - unable to believe even half of what he'd 'heard'. "No, uh, I gotta go. I got this...thing. Yeah, um, I got a thing! And you got a thing. And, and did I mention I gotta go?"

Then Xander turned around, and started running. "Xander!" Joyce called out. "Where are you going?"

But there was no reply from the youth, who quickly disappeared into the night. ( What the hell's going on? I gotta talk to someone about this... )

Some time later, he arrived at the Bronze to find the others; when Xander suddenly cursed to himself. ( Damn it, I'm stupid - I forgot, everyone's at the basketball game tonight! I better go there, I gotta get some help to figure out what's happening to me- )

But just then, he bumped into the woman named Anya Jenkins. Someone who was an 1120-year-old ex-demon, and had recently become human again. "What do you want?" she demanded roughly, recognizing one of the idiot simpering teenagers who had prevented her from regaining her Wish powers.

"I, uh, nothing..." Xander semi-babbled.

/ You'd like me to believe that, wouldn't you? But I know all men are evil. You think only about interlocking your lower body parts with women, and at no time do you ever care about their feelings! When I get my powers back, I'm going to personally pull out your intestines through your nose! Not to mention... /

Xander backed off as the thought was completed, his eyes once again huge. "That's it. It's time for me to act like a man. And go hide in my bedroom closet!"

So he ran away as fast as he could, as Anya stared after him with a strange mixture of curiosity and disgust.

Sunnydale High School. The next day 

Xander walked down the hallway corridor, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. All around him, there were fellow students broadcasting their thoughts in his direction. And by now, the demonic power had grown such that he could hear them all.

Harris could hear the boys thinking about wanting sex. He could hear the girls thinking about wanting cool clothes, and perfect hair. He could hear a teacher wanting to strangle some of the kids in his class, for wasting his time! Xander could even hear Principal Snyder with the song 'Walk Like An Egyptian' stuck in his head...

But all of that meant nothing compared to the thoughts aimed at him personally, when some people caught him staring.

Now, Xander Harris knew that he was incredibly unpopular. Ever since the thing with Willow and Cordelia had taken place, what little public standing he'd had had gone right down the gurgler - faster than a DoubleMeat Palace burger went down his throat...

But still, the boy wasn't prepared for the level of abuse hurled his way, from those few who deigned to notice him.

/ Loser. /

/ Geek. /

/ Dork. /

/ Asshole. /

/ Cheater. /

And those were some of the more kind things that Xander heard people thinking about him. Well, apart from maybe...

/ Stupid idiot got caught? He has no idea how cheat on a girl... /

Completely freaked by that one, Harris burst into the library. "Giles? GILES?"

Rupert came out of the private office. "Xander? What is it?"

"Where were you last night? I tried calling you like a million times!"

Giles shrugged. "I was in Los Angeles, looking for material to help research the Ascension. Why?"

The male teen started to tell the librarian what had happened just now. Giles was rather sceptical, "Xander, slow down. Because I'm not yet convinced that this is genuine mind-reading! You're most likely just projecting your subconscious beliefs-"

Xander interrupted, "When you came in from your office, the first thing you thought was, 'Where did the boy get that shirt, the reject pile belonging to the Salvation Army?' Then he scowled, "And just for the record, hey! I'm so sorry my family can't afford to shop at the same Watcher store you do!"

Giles blushed, as he subconsciously moved backwards. "Ah, yes, well...let's, let's move on. So, the phenomenon is real...of course! This must be the aspect of the demon that you picked up!"

"Huh?" Xander asked in confusion.

/ The demons are telepathic. I should have known. That's why they didn't need mouths/ "Xander, the demons were telepathic-"

His companion interrupted, "I know, I already heard it. That's why they don't need mouths. And that you should have known?"

Giles felt completely flummoxed. "You heard me think it inside my head?"

"Yeah..." Suddenly, Xander headed for the door. "Hold on, I gotta tell Buffy and Willow about this!"

"Xander, wait-!" But it was too late, and the boy was gone.

Out in the hallway, Xander found the female champion first of all. "Hey, Buff! I got something to tell you about the other night with those demons, that you're not gonna believe-"

The blonde Slayer stopped, and started to turn around. / Xander, I love you like a brother, but I swear - you're a complete moron! Can't you just take the hint that I don't want you to go on patrol, and get yourself dead? And I've got more important things to worry about right now - like figuring out if Angel actually prefers Faith over me/

Buffy finally faced her friend and started to say, "Look, Xander, now's not-"

But the guy backed away, his face completely white and shocked. ( Holy shit, did I actually just hear that? That's how she really feels about me? I never expected to be at that low a level in her thoughts! ) "I, ah, I gotta go..."

Like her mother before her, Buffy just stared in confusion as the 18-year-old boy quickly hit the road. ( What? Oh, man...now what's his problem? )

Harris vaguely heard the bell ring for first period, as he looked for Willow. ( Come on, Wills. Where are ya? I need my best bud here... )

A moment later he found her, talking with Oz at her locker. Xander started to say, "Hey, guys-"

Willow Rosenberg looked at her one-time crush. / Oh God, Xander, why'd ya hafta show up now? You always show up at the wrong time to just get in the way, and I wanted Oz to gimme some quality smoochies before class/ "Hi, Xander."

Harris just stared at her, unable to believe his friend had thought that. ( Willow feels like that as well? What, have I been blind all my life here? )

Oz added, "Hey, man." / Hmm, bloodshot eyes. Poor posture. Guy looks tense. All the classic signs. Xander's hooked on drugs/

Harris nearly fell over at hearing that one, and quickly excusing himself he almost galloped away - to the surprise and consternation of the young couple. Xander headed straight back to the library, thinking, ( Oh my God. OH MY GOD! I knew that everybody else thought that I was a complete retard, but this is what my best friends think of me too? )

When he got to Scooby Central, to his annoyance both Wesley and Giles were present. Xander threw himself at Giles' mercy, "Okay, I've heard enough! G-man, get this thing outta my head right now!"

Wyndam-Pryce looked confused. "Excuse me? What does that mean?"

Xander snarled, "None of your business, Wes! Hey, isn't it time for you to go get another cup of tea?"

Giles held up a placating hand. "Now, Xander, please wait. I-I-I think in this case, you should tell him what's happened."

"What's happened?" Wesley adjusted his tie in confusion.

Both men ignored him. "What for? What the hell can he do to help?" Harris demanded.

The librarian shrugged. "Wesley has access to material that I don't, not anymore. The Council's archives are most extensive...in my opinion, it's the most prudent thing to do."

Xander turned away from his pseudo-father figure, and glared at the other Englishman. Wesley could feel the hatred directed against him bottled up inside the boy, even if he couldn't fathom what he'd done to deserve it. "May I ask again, what's going on?"

Xander stalked towards him, and Pryce suppressed an urge to cringe away. "Look, Wesley. I don't like you, and as if that's a big secret! But I trust Giles, so here goes. If I tell you something confidential, will you give me your most sacred frickin' vow that the Tweed Brigade won't learn about it from you - without my permission?"

It was a defining moment in his relationship with the Americans, Wesley suddenly understood that. His Watcher Academy training automatically made him think to lie to this youth, to learn what was going on and report everything back to his superiors as he'd vowed to do...and yet, the man suddenly couldn't do it.

It was something in Xander's eyes, Wes decided at that moment. A quality similar to the one his boss Quentin Travers had, to whom he owed his loyalty for this assignment.

Thus Wesley nodded slowly. "I give you my word on this matter."

Giles looked unconvinced, but fortunately Xander had a foolproof means of checking the Council man's sincerity. "Okay, ever since last night? Something really funky has been going on..."

After he had heard the story, Wesley was incredulous. "You, you can read people's minds? Hear their every impulse and fantasy?"

Xander nodded. "A few minutes ago, Giles was thinking that Buffy's mom Joyce was obviously a right bit of crumpet in her youth. But hey - what's a pastry got to do with anything?"

Both British men started to polish their glasses, trying not to think of the answer to that. Xander's eyes went wide as he turned to the older Englishman, "You had sex with Joyce - on top of a police car! Twice? And there were handcuffs involved?"

"Er...it was the candy, we-we were possessed..." Giles looked like a deer trapped in headlights, as Wes stared at him in surprise.

Xander just smiled, though. "Giles, you canny British hound you!"

At that moment, Cordelia walked into the library. "Wesley, are you here?"

Coming so soon on the heels of the...disturbing sex talk regarding his so-called colleague and the mother of his charge, Wesley couldn't help thinking/ My God, she's so beautiful - no! Don't look at the girl like that, Cordelia's just a student here! I'm a bad, bad man for even thinking what I'd like to- /

Then he saw Xander glaring at him again, and quickly excusing himself - the Watcher almost sprinted for the sanctum of Giles' private office.

"What's his deal?" Cordy wondered. Then she just shrugged and made to leave. "I'll have to talk to Wes later, God I'm so late for class..."

She left as Xander quickly followed her, despite Giles calling him back. "Cordy, wait up!" Harris called out as he tried to catch up with her.

Luckily, the cheerleader stopped and turned around. "What do you want?" she snapped impatiently.

Floundering, Xander stammered, "Uh...it was a great game last night, congrats to you and the team for cheering like seasoned professionals?"

Cordelia didn't have time for this. "And how would you know? You weren't even there!" she replied, smothering a tiny feeling of hurt that her ex hadn't even bothered coming to see her moment of glory.

Xander prevaricated, "I was going to come, but, ah, something sorta came up-"

She thought at once/ Sure, I bet! Something beginning with a W, and ending with an 'illow'/

Harris replied at once in shock, "No! I wasn't with Willow! And, and, that, that thing with her was all a mistake...right from the start-"

/ No, the mistake was me giving up everything for you - and then you went behind my back with that mousy bookworm/ "Yeah, right!" Cordy snarled. Then she frowned, "And how did you know that was what I was thinking?"

( Uh-oh. ) Xander's mouth often worked independently of his brain, and he was about to blurt out the entire thing...when he realized that might not be entirely of the wise. ( I tell her the truth, and there's a chance she'll castrate me where I stand! ) So Harris said hesitantly, "It was written all over your beautiful face?"

Cordy looked suspiciously at him. / You think I'm beautiful/ Then she frowned. / Yeah, sure! Didn't stop you from cheating on me, Harris! My God, if only I could make you look as humiliated as I was, when everyone found out about you and her... /

Xander looked amazed. ( I knew I hurt her bad, but I never figured Queen C felt like this... ) Then he looked around; there were still some kids in the hallway. ( What the hell. What have I got to lose? Everyone thinks I'm pathetic anyway...and it sounds like Cordy really needs this! )

So Xander got down on his knees before his ex-girlfriend. "Take me back."

Cordelia Chase looked absolutely stunned, as she noticed a group of students suddenly staring at them and beginning to whisper. Then she leaned down and hissed, "What the hell are you doing!"

He replied, "What's it look like? I'm on my knees humiliating myself, just like you want deep down. So go ahead, Cor. Tell me how I'm worthless. A loser that you should have never gotten involved with. A geek whose guts you hate. Whatever, I've heard it all today! I'll still beg you to take me back-"

Harris then said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "Cordy, please forgive me! I know I don't deserve you, but if you'll just give me another chance-"

Cordelia dragged him up, looking around and feeling utterly embarrassed at all the attention they were getting. "Will you knock it off? You really think I'm going to forgive and forget, even after this sort of sickening display?"

Xander shook his head, not caring who was watching anymore. "'Course not. I'm not that dumb!"

Now the female teen was confused. "Then why bother doing it?"

Xander shrugged. "Think of this as just a...a gift." He gestured to the people avidly watching them, "By this afternoon, tomorrow at the latest, everyone's gonna know how you rejected me - even when I publicly pleaded with you for forgiveness. And I know you well enough to understand how you'll be able to use that, to get your old prestige back; heck, I betcha you'll be back to shopping sprees with Harmony and the rest of the sheep in no time!"

Cordelia scowled and thought/ Sure, if I wasn't completely broke - given how Daddy's been caught cheating on his taxes for the past 12 years, and now he's gonna go to prison/ "Look, Harris..."

But Xander stepped back, shocked. "You're poor now?" he whispered in disbelief.

Cordy felt her insides freeze, as her ex-boyfriend turned around and walked away from the look she sent him. ( How the HELL did he know that? )

A thought came to her as to how, but the beauty queen refused to believe it. ( He can't know me that well. He just can't! Xander Harris doesn't know the real me, he never did...or he wouldn't have ever betrayed me with Willow like that, damn it! )

The Bronze. Later that night 

Xander was playing pool alone in the club that evening, and he wasn't in a good mood.

For one thing, he had started developing a headache from being hit by all the thoughts of all the people around him. For another, he was still smarting from the events at school today.

Because once all your illusions are gone, the truth HURTS.

Oh, intellectually Xander knew he had no reason to be upset at his friends; they hadn't actually said anything to insult him to his face. But they had thought it, and he couldn't just dismiss that anymore with his trademark grin and silly banter.

Xander had always thought that they got him. Your best friends are supposed to get you, after all. He would have walked across a river of lava for them, but it seemed they wouldn't even rent the movie 'Volcano' for him...

That was when the young man decided that he definitely had to make some changes in his life. Xander suddenly realized that what he wanted was some respect around here, and given that high school was nearly over - spending his life telling jokes and one-liners just wasn't going to achieve that...

Harris then noticed some of his classmates staring at him, and he knew the whispers of what he'd done today in the school corridor was now probably the juiciest gossip in weeks. But right at the moment, he just couldn't seem to care; and when Buffy, Willow and Oz had confronted him about it later on during the day, he'd just shrugged and said it had felt like the right thing to do at the time.

And Buffy and Willow's opinions about that were something which Xander definitely preferred not to think about, at the moment. As they'd thought he'd temporarily gone nuts, and both girls had seemed unable to understand what their friend had ever even seen in Cordelia. Not to mention, why he hadn't been able to find someone better...

All of a sudden though, Xander noticed Angel lurking within the club. ( Great, ) Harris thought to himself. ( The perfect way, to end the perfect day! Like I need to hear now what Dead Boy thinks! Soul or not, he's still a vampire. And I'm just dying to hear the thoughts of a bad guy in sheep's clothing- )

Then Xander froze. ( Whoa, I'm having a thought. Yeah, yeah, that's a thought. Now I'm having a plan. ) He looked up at the dim lights of the Bronze, ( And hopefully this time, I'm not gonna have a wiggins... )

Deciding what to do, the young man went over to talk to Angel. "Hey, Dead Boy. Nice weather we've been having lately, huh?"

Angel scowled, like he did whenever he heard that nickname. Barely noticing the human annoyance he just growled, "What do you want, Xander? I'm looking for Buffy-"

"Big surprise..." Xander trailed off though, surprised that he hadn't heard the derogatory thought from Angel's mind that he'd been expecting. "Well, whatever. Look, something's happened to me. And I've gotten myself an idea on how to deal with the Mayor..."

The ensouled vamp finally looked around at his companion. "What are you talking about?" Then he frowned, "And why the hell do you suddenly smell different?"

Xander looked a little shocked. "I do?" Then he winced, as the thoughts of the Bronze patrons became louder in his head. "Let's take this outside..."

The two men went out into the parking lot, and Harris proceeded to tell Angel everything. The vampire just stared and said, "You've gotten infected with a part of that demon? I've heard rumors about that sort of thing before...Xander, we need to tell Giles about this..."

The boy dismissed that, "Already taken care of, he and Weasley Wesley are workin' on a cure. Now look, what I wanted to discuss-"

But Angel interrupted, "Xander, I'm not sure you understand the seriousness of your situation. You could be in danger, you need to get rid of this demon attribute as soon as possible-"

Xander couldn't help it; he got mad at hearing yet another person think that he was incompetent to take care of himself. "Will you just shut up for a second, and listen to what I have to say?"

The vamp acquiesced, and Harris started to explain his plan. "Look, we got bupkus so far on what the Mayor's actually planning; your Oscar-worthy performance with Faith a while back didn't really get us anywhere, besides outing her as one of the black hats. But don't you see, what's happened to me - this is like the perfect opportunity to learn what we need to know, straight from the horse's mouth! Er, mind, but ya know what I mean..."

Angel was instantly astonished that this human child had come up with so simple, and yet so effective a plan. ( Then again, why should I be? After all - Harris came up with the idea for us to go save Buffy, that night she was inevitably destined to die. He came up with the idea of using a rocket launcher against the Judge. He came up with the idea of patrolling during Buffy's...sabbatical, last summer. So don't underestimate him. Angelus sure didn't... )

Finally the vampire decided to say, "It sounds dangerous..."

Xander instantly denied it, "Why? All I gotta do is get close enough, right? Guy will never even know I was there! All you gotta do is get the Mayor talkin' about what we need to learn, and I'll do the rest..."

Angel looked at the young man, as a thought suddenly came to him. "You haven't told Buffy or the others about your little idea yet, have you?"

Xander scowled, "Like you people tell ME everything?" He made a show out of rubbing his jaw, "Don't think I've forgotten about your little punch on the street that knocked me out last week! Bottom line is you owe me, Dead Boy. And here I am, wanting to collect."

Angel looked thoughtful, but said nothing. Xander got tired of waiting and asked, "So what's your answer? And by the by, how come I can't hear what you're thinking?"

The undead Champion replied absently, "You can't get into my mind, it's like the reflection in the mirror; the thoughts are there, but they create no echo within you..." Then he straightened up. "Answer me one question, and I'll help you."

A little surprised and somewhat giddy at his success, Xander replied without thinking, "Shoot!"

Angel asked, "What's the real reason you came to me with this, instead of Giles and the others?"

Harris instantly scowled. "Ask another question."

The vamp just stared at him, and with a sigh Xander relented, leaning against a car. "Fine. Look, we both know that if Buffy hears about this, she won't let me do it. And this needs to be done! You remember the whole fray-adjacent thing she and the others had going, the night the Hellmouth was opened by those freaky demon chicks a few months ago?"

A sigh. "Deep down - Buffy thinks I have no right to be involved in this sorta stuff, not anymore. I should have a 'normal' life," Xander said sarcastically. "And before you jump on in to defend her, let me just say that after spending today hearing what she and the others think...well, I've had to revise my opinions on a whole lotta stuff. And I've gotten more than a little worried about our favorite Slayer!"

"Why?" Angel instantly asked in concern.

Harris paused for a moment. "Well, after everything over the last three years...Buffy thinks that she has the entire weight of the world resting on her shoulders alone. That the rest of us might help, but we have no idea what it means to be her. To be the Slayer. It's like she's starting to develop a superiority complex, I tell you, and if something isn't done about that - well, I honestly don't know what's going to happen in a few years, at best..."

Angel narrowed his eyes. "Did you actually hear her think that?"

Xander looked away. "I didn't have to. Lately, Slay-gal's actions kinda speak louder than words."

Angel hesitated. ( If we do this and anything goes wrong - the entire gang will nail me up on a cross, just before dawn! But still, Xander's right - this needs to be done, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... ) "All right, then. Let's do it. But you do exactly what I say, when I say it - understand?"

Xander nodded silently. ( Onwards, into the breach... )

The Sunnydale High School library. Later, long after midnight 

Angel rushed into the so-called Bat Cave, holding a vial of glowing blue liquid. "Here it is..."

Giles instantly took it from him, and put it on a burner set up on the table. At that moment Buffy and her friends came charging in as well, demanding to know what was going on.

Especially Cordelia...

"This had better be important. That guy at the Bronze was not only majorly hot, he had a luxury BMW and a villa in Greece! Do you people have any idea what I'm sacrificing to be here?"

"The opportunity to become a trophy wife, to some rich asshole?" Willow sniped heatedly, unable to believe her attitude.

Cordelia sneered in return, "And I just hope you like giving birth to Oz's puppies one day, you little boyfriend-stealing skank!" The claws were out tonight, and both girls seemed very eager to get it on.

"Hey!" the redhead shouted back.

Oz raised an eyebrow, "I believe that's my 'hey', actually..."

Wesley suddenly shouted, "Will you all please cease this confounded prattle, and be quiet! Mr. Harris's sanity, not to mention life, is hanging in the balance at this very moment!"

Buffy looked shocked at his unexpected outburst, as did Willow and Cordelia. As for Oz, well, no one could tell how he felt about hearing that - as usual. But on the inside, he was just as concerned as the others were; for family is family.

"What the hell are you talking about?" the Slayer instantly demanded.

There was no time for explanations though, as Giles said, "It's ready-"

Angel instantly grabbed the potion, and started to feed it to Xander; who had been lying unnoticed on another table nearby, whimpering to himself. The girls were then slightly stunned to realize that they had totally missed out on his presence, while bitching at each other! The boy thrashed around, but the vampire kept pouring the stuff down his throat; then Xander collapsed unconscious.

Buffy and Willow looked on in mute horror as Cordelia demanded in sudden fear, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" after she saw her ex maybe go into a coma.

Giles checked Xander out and said, "He's asleep, I think, which may or may not be a good sign. We'll, we'll just have to wait and see if it worked-"

Buffy started clamouring for explanations, Willow and Cordelia not far behind her. Giles got a frustrated look on his face, as did Wesley; and once again, both Watchers started polishing their glasses in tandem.

Oz commented on witnessing this, "Way you two do that in sync? Rather disconcerting."

Giles ignored the comment and started to explain everything, how Xander had been infected with a demon aspect and had become telepathic. Buffy was almost unable to believe it, "Giles, why the hell didn't you tell me about this before now!"

The British guy replied, "There wasn't time, I only just learned about it today - ah, make that yesterday morning. And Wesley and I were busy researching on how to cure Xander, which involved making that potion he just drank...containing the heart of that other demon, which I-I take it you helped Angel kill..."

Cordelia looked like she'd just had an epiphany. "So that's why the big dorkhead seemed to know exactly what I was thinking, when we talked in the hall!" Then she got a look of disgust, "I don't believe this, he violated my mind like that? What a freak and a loser!"

Queen C made no friends with that particular statement, but oddly enough it was Angel who was the one to defend his partner for the evening. He tried to describe it in a way she could understand, "Cordelia. If you're standing on the deck of a ship at night, and you suddenly get blinded from a lighthouse on the cliffs - who do you blame, yourself or the lighthouse keeper? Xander couldn't help hearing what you all think of him in the privacy of your minds, and he didn't ask for any of this..."

The vampire then shook his head, as he looked at the others. "Also - just my opinion, but now that Xander knows the pure unadulterated truth...you people are going to have a lot of groveling to do, if you want to stay friends with him."

"It's all quite fascinating if you think about it, really," Wesley put in with an academic tone. "In fact - it could be taken as evidence of, of why human beings have never evolved telepathy over the millennia. Our species would almost certainly have killed itself off a long time ago, if we'd known from the start exactly what we really think of one another-"

"Could we please focus here?" Buffy demanded, in no mood for a lecture. "Angel, what did you and Xander do tonight?"

The ensouled undead started to explain. "He came up with a plan, to get an up close and personal glimpse of the Mayor's thoughts-"

Buffy interrupted at once, "That was so stupid! Angel, what were you thinking - Xander could have gotten himself killed! Why didn't you tell me about this? I'd have never let him go through with that sort of insane idea-"

The words were spoken out of love and concern, yes, but to Angel...it was chilling to realize just how well Xander had been able to predict his beloved's response. ( Does this mean he's also right about the superiority complex thing? I'll need to discuss that with him... )

"What?" Buffy asked, seeing the look on his face.

Angel said slowly, "That's exactly why, Xander knew that you'd react this way. Buffy, he told me beforehand at the Bronze what you'd say just now...almost word for word. It's like he knew you better than you know yourself - and I guess it explains why he was annoyed about feeling that you almost treat him like a child..."

Buffy's face went white at the accusation, as she noticed everyone staring at her. "I, I don't! I just don't want him to get hurt-"

Wyndam-Pryce noted wryly, "A laudable sentiment, to be sure, and yet your desire to protect your friend would have cost us an invaluable opportunity to learn the enemy's plans. Wouldn't you say?"

Buffy did what Slayers always do, when feeling like they were under attack; she counterattacked and just snarled out, "Who the hell asked for your opinion, Mr. 'Screams Like A Girl'?"

Giles came up to the daughter of his heart, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Buffy, much as I am loath to admit it - Wesley does have a point."

Willow's eyes went huge. "What?" she almost whispered, unable to believe he'd said that.

For the redhead, the entire evening had been a pure nightmare that she hoped she'd wake up from soon. ( He knows what I think? Oh my God, does Xander hate me now? What am I gonna do, if he does? Wait, wait, just calm down... ) she babbled to herself.

Ignoring Willow's obvious panic attack Giles explained his position, "This is a war, by any other name. We need to utilize all our available assets if we are to triumph against the Mayor, and-and that includes Xander's new...ability. By trying to protect him...Buffy, you would have made a mistake. And Xander obviously knew it, too - the entire town, or possibly even the entire planet, could be at risk from Richard Wilkins..."

The beautiful blonde looked completely betrayed at hearing her mentor's words, but Oz just said, "Still needing the rest of the story, on what's happened to Xander."

Everyone glanced at the werewolf, but his face was imperturbable as always. Even though inside his mind Daniel was thinking, ( I am my thoughts. If they exist now in Xander as well, he contains everything that is me and becomes me. As with the others, he becomes us all. Does that mean we metaphorically cease to exist? )

But this was no time for metaphysics as Angel said immediately, "Well, after we left the Bronze I started tracking the Mayor's scent, and oddly enough - we found him visiting Faith at her new place. I knocked on the door; couldn't get in of course, she wasn't stupid enough to issue an invitation. But I got them both talking, and kept it going for as long as I could - so that Xander could get what we need to know, from his hiding spot on the balcony."

"And?" Giles asked at once.

"And then when I went to grab the guy to get us both outta there, I found Xander unconscious; he mustn't have been able to cope with all the voices in his head anymore..." He caught Buffy's eye. "Brought him back here, Wes and Giles told me what was needed, and you all pretty much know the rest."

Cordy looked over at Xander, and Wesley for one could see the sudden worry and concern that she tried to hide from everybody. "Is he gonna be okay?"

Giles shrugged. "Only time will tell."

Faith's apartment. The next day Faith the vampire Slayer was working out, when she heard a knock on the door. Annoyed, she stopped hitting the punching bag and went to answer it. 

The teenage girl then couldn't believe it, when she saw the donut boy of the Scooby gang standing there. "Are you nuts, coming here? How the hell did you even find me? And what do ya want?"

Xander just said in a monotone, "No. Angel. And to talk, as I've undergone a real life-changin' experience since yesterday. Can I come in?"

The brunette Slayer's interest was piqued, as Harris didn't sound like his normal joker self. So she purred in that deliciously throaty and sexy accent, "Sure. But whether or not you leave here outside of a body bag, pal - that's a whole 'nother matter..."

Xander said nothing as he entered the apartment, and she shut the door. Faith then said with a grin, "So, lemme guess. You're here to, uh, 'redeem' me, right? Or you just couldn't resist coming back for another taste of the old Slayer love?"

Harris just shook his head. "No, and no. Because I don't want to be reminded about what happened on your 16th birthday. Remember, that kinky fuck without the safe word?"

Faith lost the smile, at hearing his profanity. "How did you-? And do you kiss your momma with that mouth?"

But then Xander smiled. It was a bitter, mirthless smile; one that Faith had seen far too often in the mirror. He subsequently snorted, "I'm an orphan. I don't have parents."

The dark Slayer was confused, "But I've heard-"

Her one-time ex-lover instantly replied, "Let's just say I've had a deep and meaningful insight into the psyche of those two people, and as of last night? As far as I'm concerned, they didn't drink up the abortion money 19 years ago."

The Boston girl involuntarily felt a pang of sympathy at hearing that one, before she ruthlessly buried it. "Huh. So?"

Xander went on, "Got quite a story to tell ya, Faith. Might wanna sit down for it?" The Slayer just shook her head as he started to say, "See, it's kinda funny, but when Angel was here last night talking to you and the Mayor? So was I. And I heard everything."

Faith didn't get it. "So what?"

"Well, for starters, I got the complete skinny on what the hell Wilkins is really planning. He's going to become a pure demon soon, something called Olvikan that's the size of a whale or even bigger. And before you try to kill me for that? The gang knows everything I do already, so it's too late to shut me up that way. Oh, and as for how I learned this? I was able to read your little sugar daddy's mind."

Despite bristling on the inside at the insult to her boss Faith smirked, knowing that this was just another mind game and that Harris was a lousy liar. "Really? So if you're a mind-reader, wanna tell me what I'm thinking right now?"

Xander shrugged. "No can do, I don't have that power anymore-"

She sneered, "Likely story!"

Harris came a step closer. "It's the truth, that's how I learned what he's planning. Not to mention what Buffy and the rest of the gang really think of me..."

( Oh, now, what is this - trouble in Paradise? ) the brunette thought to herself in wicked amusement. ( Hmm, maybe I can use it to bring Boy Toy over to my side? For sure, B and the rest would never see that one coming... )

It was a waste of energy thinking that, though. Even if last night, despite Angel's warning about needing to grovel, Buffy hadn't been able to prevent herself from laying down the law to Xander after he'd woken up.

But then, the blonde Slayer had been stunned at the look Harris had sent her. The one she'd only ever seen on Xander's face once before; the night when he'd threatened to kill her, if Willow had ended up dead...

( Focus, ) Xander thought to himself. "Faith, I'm not kidding; I heard the Mayor last night in my head. And you wanna know the funny part? He loves you like a daughter. He'd do anything for you."

The girl raised her eyebrows. "Not exactly helping your case or getting me to see your point, stud. I already know all that-"

Xander riposted, "Yeah, but that's only half the story. See, good ol' Dick has also been planning the Ascension gig for over 100 years, and sad fact is - if it comes down to a choice between it and you? Well. I got me no doubts on which one he'd pick. What's your take on that?"

Faith sneered again, "Assuming I even believe you, why the hell would that be a consideration? He knows that I'm on his side!"

Harris shook his head. "I heard dear Richard plan a big surprise for Angel, because of the little visit here last night. Mystical poison known as "Killer of the Dead"; it's a particularly slow and horrible way to get a vamp to become dust. And ya know what the kicker is? There's only one cure. To completely drain the blood of a Slayer."

The Chosen One was starting get a little uneasy. "I've heard enough of your bullshit-"

Xander had a poker face that Oz would have been proud of, as he interrupted her. "The poison exists, and the Mayor has some. We both know that you can find that much out for yourself - right? As for what Wilkins does with it..."

Faith was looked uneasy as the former class clown continued, "Oh, I have your attention now? Good. Well, naturally of course, I've warned Dead Boy and the others about it - but there's still a chance that he'll get hit by that crap, before Graduation day. In fact, Mayor'll probably get you to do it! And if that happens..."

Suddenly, a cruel smirk appeared on Xander's face. "What do you think the chances are Buffy will selectively forget all about that pesky "no-killing-humans" rule, and just feed your ass to Angel? Because hey, if it ever came down to choosing between you and him? Well, these days that's pretty much a no-brainer..."

The Slayer involuntarily took a step back, as Xander came forward. "Faith. I know you don't take me seriously, but I'm not joking - the Mayor can't win anymore. We know exactly what he's planning for the Ascension, if not all the precise details, and he's gonna get his ass kicked to kingdom come. I don't see any point in you letting yourself die along with him...so that's why I want you to have this."

Harris reached into his interior jacket pocket, as Faith tensed up instantly. But all he brought out was a piece of paper, that he placed in her hand.

She demanded, "What is this?" Her eyes then went wide, "A bus ticket?"

Xander nodded. "Paid for it myself. Get out of Sunnydale, Faith. Right now, and don't come back. 'Cause if Buffy and the Watchers get ahold of you, they won't be making this offer."

Faith suddenly turned belligerent, "And just why would you do this for me, huh? You think I'll make you my boy toy again for the night, as thanks for this little heads-up? You really want to risk your life, going at it with a murderer?"

Xander's face was like stone. "I'm doing this for a variety of reasons, but that ain't one of 'em. Firstly, I'm doing this for you; because you were my first, and even though that means nothing to you - it still means something to me..."

The girl was silent as he continued, "I'm also doing it for Buffy, as despite recent developments - I don't want to see her squash her morals for Dead Boy, and kill for him. Because that would...well, let's just say that there would be nothing left of the girl I once fell in love with if that ever happened, and I prefer not to have things come to that."

Harris finished up, "And finally, I'm doing it for all the people you might help save later on, if you just hit the road here..." Xander frowned, "Besides, you're not a murderer; I mean as far as I know, you haven't deliberately killed anyone yet. Have you?"

Faith demanded, "Oh, and that asshole Allan Finch was what, a bit of foreplay?"

Xander shook his head. "I heard you thinkin' about him last night, actually. How you don't care about that anymore. But just my opinion, that was unpremeditated manslaughter and not murder-one. Besides - didn't Mayor MacDemon make all that go away for you already?"

The male teenager smiled that bitter smile again, and stepped back. "Goodbye, Faith. I gotta go, 'cause they're serving my favorite Jell-O for lunch today at school. So here's hoping I never see you again...firecracker."

And with that, Xander left the apartment without looking back once.

Faith watched him go, and then stared around the place in almost a panic; before appearing to come to some sort of decision. She started stuffing things into a couple of bags, before grabbing the bus ticket out of her pocket.

The Slayer then muttered, "Screw it. If he's a liar, I'll be back to kill his ass, and if he's not...well, sorry boss, but I gotta look after number one first and foremost here..."

She then banged her way out of the apartment, the truth of Xander's words beginning to haunt Faith's mind mercilessly.

Angel's mansion. Later that day After the little saga with the homicidal lunch lady and the suicidal boy called Jonathan Levinson was over and done with, Xander skipped the rest of school and came to visit his undead acquaintance. He said to the vampire, "I've been thinking. And thing is, I've never actually said thanks for all the times you've helped saved my life, have I?" 

Angel shrugged, "No."

Harris then said slowly, "Thank you, Dead Boy. And not just for what happened last night, but for all the occasions when Angelus wasn't on the loose trying to kill everybody."

The former Irishman could feel the sincerity of the barbed gratitude, but it troubled him. Just as much as he was troubled by the fact that Harris had emotionally distanced himself from all his friends, and more importantly...that he hadn't cracked a single joke in all the time since he'd come out of that telepathic delirium.

Normally, Angel would have approved of the transformation, taking it as an indicator that the human was finally growing up. But Buffy's distress and Willow's unshed tears over the fact that 'he's just not acting like Xander anymore!' prevented him from doing that.

So the vamp simply said to the Harris boy, "Think nothing of it."

Xander shook his head. "There's some stuff I gotta tell you - so, no can do. It's about Joyce. See, she doesn't like you."

Angel shrugged again. "I know."

"Nope, I don't think you do. Not really. On account of I know what she thinks of you, first-hand. Joyce wants you and Buffy to split up, and I know for a fact she'll be here any time now - to get you to break it off with her."

The 246-year-old creature looked at Xander. "Why are you telling me this? I'd have thought you'd be jumping up and down in glee at the news..."

Harris frowned. "Last week I would have, sure, but things are different now. Look Angel, the truth is we don't like each other; and most likely, we never will. Because soul or no soul, I just don't trust vampires. But what Joyce intends to do...well, majorly ironic, but it's not in Buffy's best interests."

Angel cocked his head, surprised at Xander's honesty. If nothing else, his little adventure seemed to have radically sharpened his ability to cut through to the heart of any matter that he deemed important. "How so?"

"You're an asset in the fight, as long as you've got your soul intact. Kinda like a pet Doberman, one that you know might turn on its owner - after a little too much affection! And Joyce isn't...well, she's thinking like a mother. It's not her fault, really, woman can't help it. But she wants you out of Buffy's life - because you symbolise everything that she doesn't want her daughter associated with."

"I see..."

Xander then grinned that mirthless smile, which his friends had all begun to hate recently. "Not to mention the fact that you had your wicked vampire way with her baby girl's virginity, and trust me - that's something that Joyce will never forget. I'd say the only way you could ever get her to truly accept you would be to turn human, and marry the Buffster. But what are the odds of that ever happening, huh?"

Angel just stared at him, when at that moment they heard the front door creak as Joyce entered the Crawford Street mansion. Xander checked his Tweety watch, "Almost right on time..."

After the middle-aged woman found them, Harris stayed out of the conversation until Joyce said, "I'm here because quite frankly, I'm worried. Angel, I don't need to tell you that you and Buffy both come from two different worlds, do I?"

The vamp shook his head. "No."

Joyce sighed, "Buffy's grown up so fast, and had to deal with so much. And when it comes to you, Angel, she's just like any other young woman in love; you're all she can see of tomorrow. But we both know-"

Xander interrupted, "You want him to break up with her. Leave town and never see her again, preferably."

Mrs. Summers had almost forgotten Xander was there, and looked a little startled at his bluntness. "Well, I..." she trailed off.

Angel asked, "May we speak frankly?"

She nodded, "Of course."

But the undead guy solemnly shook his head. "Please consider that question more carefully, Joyce. Because a lot of what I suspect Xander has to say...I honestly don't think you want to hear it."

Joyce stared at them both and eventually said, "I'm listening."

Angel paced a little. "Did you know that recently, Xander had the ability to read minds?"

The Summers woman was confused, "What?"

Harris shrugged, "It's true, ask Buffy if you don't believe him. I can't do it anymore, but I told Angel that you were planning on coming here today. And more to the point, why."

Now Joyce looked startled. ( He's read my mind? Oh...OH... ) "I see."

"I'm not so sure about that," Angel replied.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

The vampire stopped pacing. "I've been giving the argument some thought, and it's true that Buffy does deserve some semblance of a normal life. But the problem is, she's the Slayer."

Joyce looked annoyed at hearing this. "I know that-"

The male teen instantly interrupted, "No you don't, Mrs. S. Not deep down where it matters, anyway." Xander nodded to Angel, who went into his demon face.

Joyce yelped and jumped back, as the vamp quickly morphed back into his human mask. "That's what your daughter fights every night, Joyce," the immortal creature told her.

She gulped, "I knew that too."

Xander shook his head. "But you still can't accept the truth that as a Slayer, odds are certain Buffy won't live long enough to see grandchildren. Probably not long enough to have kids either, even if the only guy she wants to have them with wasn't a walking corpse. I won't sugarcoat this for you; Slayers die young, and they die violent deaths. Don't delude yourself, you convincing Dead Boy to leave Buffy won't change that - it'll only make it happen that much sooner."

Joyce almost felt her blood boil, as she glared at Xander; but the infuriating man-child looked completely unimpressed with her expression. "That's not the point-"

Angel interrupted, "Then what is? Joyce, I'm not sure if you know, but Buffy's already died once. Luckily, Xander and I were there to bring her back. So you need to understand, your daughter needs all the allies she can get in this never-ending war she fights - no matter what the Council has to say about it..."

He sighed, or at least appeared to. "You're both right in thinking that I can't give her a normal life, or children, or any of the things that she deserves. And despite what you two may think, I love Buffy enough to give her up, to let her find someone else who can take her out into the daylight. That's why I intend to break up with her, and stay away from now on...except for the nightly patrols..."

Angel paused. "On account of Xander's right, my presence does help keep her alive. And that's all that matters, in the end. So Joyce, I won't be leaving town...whatever else happens."

Mrs. Summers just looked thoughtful, and then she headed for the exit. Before she left though, the woman turned back and said, "Thank you both for looking after my little girl."

Angel replied, "You're welcome."

But Xander said nothing, completely lost in thought - as he started to contemplate his own future.

**Sunnydale****, California. June, 1999**

The chaos effect caused by the demon blood splashing onto Xander, not Buffy, caused some major wrinkles - but let other things remain as they'd been destined to be.

Angel broke up with his girlfriend, and the blonde Slayer grieved in horrible pain. And there was nothing she and Willow could do about it - except indulge in lots and lots of ice cream...

The hellhounds of Tucker Wells still came and attacked the dress shop Cordelia had been working at, ever since she'd lost everything. However, her pre-attack talk with Xander had been less...strained...than it otherwise would have been. For the former couple had come to a truce of sorts, after the mind-reading thing.

They were more-or-less civil to each other, in fact - more rather than less. For Xander had still faithfully hidden Cordelia's money troubles from Wesley and the others, even though he'd had motive and opportunity enough to completely destroy her social standing.

Later, Miss Chase was glad Xander could no longer hear her thoughts; as unlike in a world where Buffy had gotten infected that way, Cordy was now rather conflicted on the topic of her ex-boyfriend.

Because they had had a talk, a few days after Joyce had spoken to Angel. And with his new penchant for the blunt truth, Harris had told her everything; how the clothes fluke with Willow had started - to the bitter end in the factory, before Cordy had almost been gutted by that rebar.

It had burned Cordelia badly, far more than she would ever admit, to learn that those two had made out in the stacks within the library. Almost in the very same spot that Willow had caught her and Xander, ten months before! But oddly, the Chase girl was somewhat comforted by the fact that Xander and Willow had also been trying to end it, that they'd had some sort of spell in mind before Spike had kidnapped them both that horrible night.

Cordelia had also been rather touched, when her ex had bought her that prom dress. She'd begun to think that maybe the big dweeb knew her a bit better than she had originally thought. And while most would just assume Cordy would only have wanted to attend to try and win the Prom Queen award, she'd just wanted to be there.

As to her, senior Prom was not just another school dance; it was a rite of passage, and meant passing beyond the cusp of childhood to enter the real world.

Still, most of the student body were stunned when Cordelia and Xander shared one slow dance together that night, and the gossip mill started to work overtime again - sending the brunette girl's upward mobility crashing back down to earth.

The truce between those two did have one major thorn in it, though; Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. Although Xander was grateful to the man for helping save his life, the teenager still thought Wes was just the Council's lackey - who held impure intentions towards his former honey. Cordelia didn't view him quite so harshly...

But as thanks for the dress, she didn't attempt to flirt with the young Watcher in front of Harris like that anymore.

The relationship between the core Scooby gang members had continued to slide though, unfortunately. Willow especially apologized for everything. Even things from back when she and Xander were just little kids! The guy tried to get her to stop, but at times it was if Willow's tongue truly just would not stop babbling...

Buffy too tried in her own way to apologize, but she also kept trying to rationalize her actions and thoughts. As she was the Slayer, so she must have had a good reason for doing and thinking as she did. At least, that was what she told herself at nights, when she thought about the way that Xander had looked at her - whenever the subject of that evening came up...

The thing that had made up Xander's mind though was when the more upset Willow got at his distance, the more upset towards him Buffy became. The blonde champion wanted the matter to be put to rest and forgotten, not so all three of them could be best friends again - but because Willow was not taking it well.

( It's what best friends do for each other, ) Xander had thought at the time. ( Buffy takes Willow's side, and Willow takes Buffy's. Sad as, but I'm obviously not a major consideration now. Ah, well... )

Xander had then taken a lesson from some things he remembered about his soldier possession. 'No matter what you think personally of the people you're deployed with, only the mission result matters'. As such, he became focused only on stopping the Mayor. And soon enough, the only times the girls saw Xander Harris was in class, or at the library.

Another wrinkle that had popped up was that Angel was never shot with that poison arrow, since the Mayor was briefly occupied attempting to find the missing Faith. Thus, the time never came when the Watchers refused to give the Scoobies the cure for that mystical poison; and so, Buffy was never enraged enough to quit the Council.

Funnily enough, the suits from England had actually even come through with extra support when they'd needed it. The transformed Mayor got taken care of, with only small numbers of student casualties.

People who would have died, didn't.

And so it had all led up to this moment, a few days after graduation. Xander was loading up his car, as he prepared to leave the Hellmouth; basically the high school graduate was getting the hell out of Dodge, unable to take the strain of his friends wanting the 'old' Xander back any longer.

All of a sudden though, a man dressed like 1970's pimp with a distinctive hat on his head walked up to the boy. "You Xander Harris?"

The human's spider-sense started tingling. "Who wants to know?"

"Name's Whistler-" the balance demon started to say, in that tell-tale Queens accent.

Then Whistler was honestly surprised at the speed with which Xander slammed him against the 1957 Chevy Bel Air. "Hey, hey, hey! I'm not here to fight, kid!"

Xander just snarled, "You're that demon who Buffy met a year ago, right? The same one that originally sicced Angel onto her?"

Whistler prevaricated, "I wouldn't put it quite like that-"

"I would. Funny thing how I prefer the honest truth from people nowadays, even demon people like you!"

The demon smirked, "And that's led to consequences, kid, you know that - right? The major players upstairs, they're really upset with you right now. So I'm thinkin', God help you in the afterlife..."

Xander just looked at him, before letting the balance demon go. "What do you want?"

Whistler ignored that. "Harris, listen to me real careful-like. Everything that's happened the last month or so, it's caused chaos. And all because of that darn Chaos demon! Well, never mind him now. But what you've done - kid, trust me. You guys were never supposed to close the Hellmouth at this point in time, with the assistance of that coven from England-"

"You're a demon, so pardon me if I don't believe a thing you say," Xander interrupted sarcastically. "But what the hell, just for the sake of argument. Why not? I heard from Wilkins' mind how he'd created it back in the 19th century, and how it could be sealed off at the exact moment of the Ascension - by doing the rituals in reverse. So where's the downside?"

Whistler told him, "The Cleveland Hellmouth is now active, for one."

Xander shrugged. "I know that. But Buffy, Giles, Wesley and Angel are gonna be headed there soon. Wouldn't surprise me if Joyce joined them as well..."

The 'Boogie Nights' wannabe went on, "For another? Closing the Hellmouth, people are no longer repressing around here. That's why best guesstimate is, by the end of the year? Sunnydale will be a ghost town!"

Harris smiled, "And that's a problem, why? Anyway, I'm not gonna be here to see it. I'm headed to LA."

"So I heard..." the demon mused. "Decided not to go on the old road trip, huh? Saved up all your money for living in the projects?"

Xander just glared at him. Whistler then asked, "Tell me, you given any thought on what's gonna happen to your friends, now that UC Sunnydale is in the process of relocating - from the lack of money and people?"

Xander raised his eyebrows. "My friends? Buffy, you know. Cordy's gonna leave town to go try her hand at acting, and I wish her all the luck in the world on that. Willow and Oz? They should do fine in Cleveland, or Oxford, or wherever the hell they're gonna go to college. What's your point?"

Whistler shook his head. "Well, jeez, look at you. You really don't care that much, do ya?"

Harris scowled. "That's none of your business."

"Wrong, kid. I'm makin' it my business. Tell me why you're abandoning them."

Xander sighed, having the feeling that this jerk would never stop hassling him until he got an answer. "Look...Whistler. There was a time I never would have left their side, no matter what. But once I knew what the gang really thought of me...well, it was kinda inevitable that we go our separate ways."

"And why's that, exactly?"

Suddenly, the floodgates opened. "Bottom line? Thanks to that damn demon - I learned without a doubt that Buffy, Willow and the others didn't respect me for who and what I was, however much they loved me. The closest thing to respect I had from any of the white hats? It came from Angel, believe it or not, and I simply couldn't get past that! I mean - they apologized and all, and I still love the ol' Scooby gang, but it's like knowing about the vamps and demons out there - you just can't forget the truth-"

Whistler interrupted, "Oh, you want the truth? Okay, here it is. You screwed up. Big time! Thanks to your little speech to the Slayer's mom, and Rat Breath-"

The human frowned. "You mean Angel?"

"Yeah, the guy you love to call Dead Boy. Catchy, but unoriginal ya know! Anyway, point is he wasn't supposed to stay with Little Miss Goldilocks; there was a whole big destiny thing, waiting for him in Los Angeles. But now that's gone completely up the creek with a paddle, thanks to you!"

"Tough," Xander replied with brutal honesty. "It may suck for you, but that's not my problem. And if there's an apocalypse or whatever scheduled, you need the supernatural heroes - not the normal people like me. So why the heck are we having this conversation?"

Whistler smirked, "Glad you asked..."

All of a sudden, the demon touched Xander - and the guy screamed in agony, as his body glowed with a bright white light that seemed to emanate from within.

After the man in the hat removed his hand, Xander recovered and grabbed Whistler again, "What the hell did you just do to me!" he yelled.

Whistler simply said, "Actions have consequences, kid, so consider yourself drafted as one of the supernatural heroes. So that you can help clean up the mess you made! And to technically answer your question, you just got the old hyena strength back, not to mention a few extra goodies; enhanced sight, smell, vamp-level healing. That sorta thing..."

"I won't be anyone's puppet, least of all yours..." Harris growled, ready to punch his lights out. "Change me back, before I kill you!"

Whistler ignored the death threat, he'd heard them all before anyway. "When you get to the City of Angels, your new seer will find you, tell ya what you gotta do. So, good luck 'n all-"

"You're not listening to me, you polyester-wearing demon asshole! I said change me back, as in right the hell now! Or you're dog meat!" Harris definitely had murder in his eyes.

But Whistler had an ace up his sleeve. "If I did change you back? Your old girlfriend is dead by the end of September!"

That stopped Xander cold. "What?" he demanded, as the youth tightened his grip on the demon.

The balance demon replied simply, "Yeesh, I gotta go into details? Fine. You're the one that's been selected to take over the Stink Guy's big destiny, and that means saving the life of one Cordelia Chase! Because she's got quite the destiny as well. You two'll see what I mean, when the time comes..."

"What?" Then Xander's expression changed, as he pushed the demon from him. "I don't believe you. This is all just a big con, and hey - I'm not buying into it!"

Whistler smirked, "You're very suspicious. Good, it'll keep ya alive longer. But look, kid, I'm a balance demon; I'm not on anyone's side, I'm just doing my job. You, you're the white knight hero type; go do your job in Los Angeles. Or I swear you'll be blaming yourself for letting the cheerleader die, for the rest of your life."

Xander stared at the demon. Then he heard the loud air horn of a truck honk out almost right behind him, and without thinking he looked away. But when Harris looked back - Whistler was gone.

"Crap! He's another guy I definitely need to put a bell on..."

With nothing else to do Xander finished loading up the car, emptying Faith's old hotel room that he'd been staying at - ever since that thing with his former parents. Afterwards he got into the vehicle, and started it up...

But then Harris sat there for a while, the engine idling. ( This is freakin' unbelievable. So, now what do I do? Stay? Go? What? )

Suddenly, he started laughing. Xander said to himself in the mirror, "Well. The Zeppo ain't exactly that no more, and he supposedly got himself a big ol' destiny too, huh? Who'd a-thunk it? Not me. Not you. Man, there go my dreams of just becoming a fireman or whatever! Oh, what the hell - I'm screwed any way you look at it, so there's no point in putting it off any longer..."

Still laughing to himself, Xander Harris put the car in gear and started to drive out of town, heading towards Los Angeles.

Towards his awaiting destiny, that held many different truths - and just as many consequences.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Truth And Consequences(2/2)

**Date written: **Mon7 Feb 2005

**Author:** Nodakskip and Starway Man

**E-mail:** theopkew. The Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters are copyright Joss Whedon, UPN, WB, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar and probably a whole lot of other people as well. Parts of the fanfic are taken from transcripts of the relevant BtVS episodes, and so those segments belong to the writers in question. We won't be making any illegal profit from this story; all we're hoping is for some feedback here.

**Category: **Action, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angel/Buffy crossover

**Main characters:** Ensemble

**Continuity:** This takes place during BtVS seasons 4-7, and Angel seasons 1-5.

**Symbols: **" " denotes speech, ( ) specifies thoughts, and # # indicates phone voice.

**Rating:** Overall R, with mostly PG-13 parts.

**Summary: **Xander Harris has been drafted by the Powers That Be as their Champion, and the world will never be the same afterwards.

**Part Two:** Consequens

"Hey, Tara, this is probably crazy...but Spike got me to thinking. This spell we did...it's having consequences, isn't it?"

(Alexander Lavelle Harris, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER)

**A place outside space and time. June, 1999**

A lone being sat at an ornate table made of dark oak. He looked male, and around 40 years old. Anyone who saw him would think he was an ordinary higher being, if such a thing even existed.

But he was not, for he was far more than that. His name was Lucas, and he was one of the highest beings imaginable - in all the numberless different dimensions that existed. In fact, to best describe it - he was someone with all the responsibilities of a god, yet none of the perks.

To explain what was currently going on with him, one needs to understand that the fact is - nature abhors imbalance.

Left and right, up and down, there must always be a symmetry of sorts. Thus, for everything holy there is something unholy; and vice versa.

Since before the Old Ones were done walking the Earth, there had roamed a three-ply 'entity' known as the Wolf, Ram and Hart. And with the emergence of humans as the dominant life form on the planet, these three lower beings set into motion their plans to tear apart from within all that was best in humanity; and eventually destroy it.

And so, the other side had to respond.

It is an age-old custom in this universe, to fight fire with fire. And thus, three gods known as Osiris, Yama and Mictlantecuhtli - the Egyptian, Hindu and Aztec gods of death - came together, and this trinity set their own plans into gear.

Lucas put in order several folders in front of him, as the chairs on the other side of the table started to fill up - when their occupants answered his summons. And after the last one to arrive - who was a Greek goddess, in fact - sat down, the senior higher being spoke. "I'm sure all of you have questions."

"Yes, Lucas," Liva, a female higher being said. "We don't normally meet on this plane. It is...rather out of the way. Also, why is Hecate here?"

"We are meeting here," Lucas told them, "because this place is so far out of the way, as you put it, that the Powers That Be will not know of our gathering."

This caused a look of confusion to pass among the faces of the other higher beings. Marcus spoke the question in their minds, "For quite some time now, we have been working with and alongside the Powers That Be. Why would we not wish them to know what transpires here, if it affects them?"

Lucas conceded the point. "It is true that the Powers were created to watch over what we did not always have time for, the protection of the earthly plane. However, recently the Trinity has taken a good, hard look at the Powers - and they do not like what they have seen."

An image appeared over the surface of the wood table. An overhead view of Sunnydale, California. "What you see here, is the town located over what was previously the active Hellmouth for the human plane," Lucas said. "And you all know of the plan the Trinity had for the champions of that city?"

"Yes," Gabrielle replied. "That the group of mortals that had banded together to fight the darkness with the vampire Slayers, would split to create two teams of champions in different cities. Then they would rejoin after many years, to create a new order of Light."

"Correct," Lucas said, as the image vanished. "That was the plan. And it was passed on to be implemented in what we thought were the capable hands of the Powers That Be. We have learned though that the plan has been corrupted by many, including the Powers themselves, for their own ends."

"Meddling with a plan created by the Trinity?" Liva asked, shocked. "Who would have the audacity to even attempt it?"

"As I said. Many," Lucas informed her. "Some among the Powers themselves, the hellgod Glorificus, the exiled Power, and most troubling - the First Evil..."

With a wave of the higher being's hand, the table showed other images. "This is Buffy Summers, the vampire Slayer. It was preordained that she was to die twice. The first brief death that would create the second line of Slayers, and then her final death. However, a bargain between Glorificus and the First Evil would change all that-"

The image flashed to May 8th, 2001. Those gathered around the table watched the future battle against Glory and the race to save Dawn, the Key, at the top of the tower. They watched, as Buffy jumped to her death. And they saw too the death of Ben, the man who had been born to be the physical prison of the hellgod.

"Why would Glorificus agree to a deal that resulted in her death?" Bethany asked, as she spoke for the first time.

"She'll think that it'll all end better for her," Lucas answered. "In fact, she will actually believe that she's completely pulling the wool over the First's eyes."

"Well - Glory is a hellgod, after all," Hecate reasoned. "And their human forms are okay in the looks department, but as for brains...well."

Lucas kept going, as more images were shown; this time, during the October of 2001. "The witch Willow Rosenberg would subsequently use her powers in a way that she should have known not to. But then, when humans believe that a friend is in need - they do not often think with their brains."

The image showed the inside of Buffy Summers' coffin as her rotted corpse regressed back to her full body, and she took in a sharp breath of air.

"With the return of Buffy Summers to the land of the living," Lucas said, "it would, to quote a mortal phrase, all go to hell. She will believe that her friends had pulled her not out of Hell, but Heaven. Even though she will not understand it, resentment would grow from that moment on against those friends - leading Buffy into the arms of William the Bloody."

"Impossible!" Marcus declared, having heard of that particular vampire. "A champion of the Light would not willingly fornicate with a soulless demon! The ensouled one, yes, but-"

Lucas titled his head slightly, as images of Spike appeared. In each he was fighting demons and other vampires, and soon he was shown fighting side by side with Buffy Summers.

"There are some within the Powers That Be who wish to impress the Trinity. Enough to become one of us, perhaps. To that end, they decided to create their own champion in the vampire commonly known as Spike. They would even go so far as to give him his soul back-"

"They believe he can do a better job than the one called Angel?" Liva demanded. "It is possible, I suppose. But that vampire has had a soul for a century of human time, long enough to know what it means to carry such a burden. To just give a demon a soul in order to turn him good right away, that would drive the vampire in question insane - would it not?"

"Spike's addition to the forces of Light causes problems, as well as solves them," Lucas replied vaguely. "In time, he would become the only one that Buffy Summers trusts. According to the plans of the Powers, she will turn her back on those who stood by her. She will even promise a mortal man named Wood that she will allow Spike to kill him, after he fails to gain revenge for his mother's death at Spike's hands."

"Interesting. But was William the Bloody not to meet his death after the event with the Gem of Amara?" Gabrielle asked.

"He was," Lucas admitted. "However, in the new plans, he escapes that death. And that escape would lead him to be captured by the group known as the Initiative. They were to place a device in his brain that will hurt the demon, if he attacks any humans. Thus making him only able to work with the Slayer, against his own kind."

"A human electronic device?" Marcus asked. "How could such a simple thing of that nature tell the difference between a human, and a non-human?"

"That I do not have an answer for, at least not yet," Lucas commented.

The table came to life again, to show another set of images. The relationship of Tara Maclay and Willow Rosenberg. Willow's attempt to erase Tara's memories - and then after Tara's death, her murder of the killer. Also, her almost ending the world.

"It's truly horrifying," Hecate said, as she watched the image of the black-haired über-witch. "She is to eventually be one of the most powerful white witches ever to walk the Earth. But now my disciple would become forever tainted by the darkness, taking out Osiris himself? No wonder it would all go to hell! Willow would succumb to something even greater than the darkness in her fellow witch, the one called Amy Madison..."

"Well," Liva said, shaking her head. "At least the 'one who sees' has not been too greatly affected by all these changes in the plans. He will still save the human world, with the love he had for his oldest friend."

"Actually..." Lucas said. "He is amongst the most heavily affected. The one who sees was supposed to become one of the most well-respected and powerful mortals within the new order of Light...and yet now..."

The images now showed a quick group of flashes. Each showing how much more marginalized and forgotten the mortal Xander Harris would become. Until his death in the year 2008, when he attempted to save the life of a vampire Slayer under his care - and said Slayer turning against the new Council, when Xander's death was seen not as the tragic fate of a hero trying to save her...

But rather an example of what happens to a normal mortal, who ventures into a world that he has no business entering.

It was sad but true that Harris was destined by the Powers to become largely forgotten, in the new Council's history. And after less than 50 years, no record of him at all would exist in any of their archives.

"He is not alone," Lucas said with a gesture. "Many others like Cordelia Chase, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Jonathan Levinson, Winifred Burkle, Allen Francis Doyle...the list goes on and on. I could inform you all of each of their new destinies, but that would take more time than is permissible; because..."

The table came to life one more time, to show events that had recently happened within the earthly plane.

"...from the unpredictability of chaos - it was Xander Harris and not Buffy Summers who was recently infected with an aspect of this demon, that you see before you. And now, the youth is leaving the Sunnydale group to venture out on his own."

"Can this be allowed?" Gabrielle asked, unsure. "He has his role to play, as do they all."

"True," Lucas commented. "But all those roles in Sunnydale are now voided, as the Hellmouth there was closed - when I implanted a certain idea in Rupert Giles' mind."

"You did what?" Liva demanded. "But Lucas, Sunnydale figures greatly into both the old and the new plans!"

"Yes, it did," Lucas admitted. "However, when the Trinity discovered the sheer extent of all the changes to their designs? They decided that the only way to make sure events returned to almost as they'd been planned to happen...was for the Sunnydale situation to be removed from the board completely."

Getting up, Lucas grabbed the folders and placed one in front of each person present as he walked behind them. "All of you have been given an important assignment, for it is vital that you do as instructed when the time comes. And know that the Trinity wished us to wait till now to act, after the Powers That Be had forced the mortal Xander Harris into taking the vampire Angel's place in Los Angeles."

"Why is that?" Bethany inquired.

"Because the Trinity considered that human to be a perfect candidate for the job," Lucas told her. "And while the Powers' reasons for doing it might be selfish, that matters not in the long run."

**The realm of the Powers That Be. The same time**

"You have done as instructed?" the head Power That Be demanded of the balance demon, as he appeared in their realm.

"It's done, yeah..." Whistler said, with seemingly no care regarding the matter. "I gave that teenage twerp his unwanted upgrade, already!"

"Good," a female Power said with a smile, as Whistler vanished. "No doubt that will teach him not to interfere with our plans..."

"Your plans?" a voice asked out of nowhere.

A hush fell over the Powers That Be, for they all knew whose voice that was. "You honor us with your presence, Lucas," the head Power said quickly.

"I am not so certain," Lucas said shortly, as he showed himself. "The recent events within the earthly plane - they have caused the Trinity to look more closely at how their plans were being implemented. And I have to tell you, they did not like what they learned...but then of course you knew that already - didn't you?"

Before any of the Powers That Be could defend their actions, Lucas continued. "The Trinity is busy with other matters for the moment, as the Senior Partners - may they be forever cursed - are up to something. Thus I will deliver their verdict upon all of you later, when it is reached. But for now, I am to tell you that the people on this list..."

They all watched, as a paper scroll appeared in the higher being's hand. "...are no longer under any jurisdiction of yours. Neither are any of the beings that come from them, or join their battles later on."

6305 Westminster Place, Sunnydale, California. Late June, 1999 

The Greek goddess Hecate appeared in the empty bedroom of Willow Rosenberg. She then immediately went to the wire cage on the dresser. Opening the cage, she held out her hand and compelled the seemingly-ordinary rodent to climb on.

With the rat now resting on her open palm, the goddess waved her hand; and in a flash of light, one Cordelia Chase appeared. The brunette looked around in confusion for a few moments, not even bothering to take out the electric toothbrush from her mouth.

"Whaaa-?" she tried to say, but the word came out garbled.

Hecate created a bowl and a towel for the young woman. "Use these, child."

Cordelia took the offered items, while trying to get some distance. She quickly spit out the toothpaste from her mouth, and wiped the leftovers away with the towel. Her mounting terror grew though when as soon as she placed the items down, the bowl and towel vanished as if they had never been there.

Also, the battery-operated toothbrush vanished from her hand as well. And unbeknownst to her, reappeared in its holder on her apartment sink.

"Who the hell are you?" Cordelia demanded. "And why in God's name did you bring me to this bitch's bedroom?"

Hecate used her powers on the girl to calm her down. Then she sat the former princess down on the bed slowly, so as not to upset her. "It has come to my attention that you will be in need of a friend, Cordelia Chase."

"Lady, I don't need-" Cordy started to say but was silenced by the goddess.

"You are leaving your home, such as it is, to start another chapter of your life. And the way some have planned it, it will be a relatively short life at that. However, we are now changing this," the goddess said calmly. "And your changing role has allowed me to alter the fate of one of my daughters."

Cordelia's eyes went wide, when the rat was shown to her. "Oh my God, Amy!" she yelled. "Look, lady, whatever you think you're going to do with her..."

"My name is Hecate. And I would not harm her, Cordelia," Hecate informed the teen girl. "She, like her mother, has the possibility for great darkness. Amy Madison must learn to respect magic, before her powers consume her."

"Whatever..." Cordy tried to act unconcerned, but failed miserably.

"My plan, at first, was to keep her in this form for another human year. So that the young novice will learn that she cannot simply do spells at her whim, without paying a steep price for that. But with the new plan some wish for, Amy will remain in this form for much longer. Therefore...I am bending the rules slightly."

Hecate lowered her hand to the bed, and allowed the rat that was formerly Amy Madison to crawl on its surface. Then she waved her hand; and the human Amy, fully naked, appeared on the bed next to Cordelia.

"What's going on?" Amy yelled, looking around in fright. "What - why am I naked, and here with...Cordelia Chase!"

Before the taller girl could make a snide remark of any kind, Hecate spoke. "Amy Madison, you have been imprisoned in the form of a rodent for several months. It was meant as a punishment, as well as for you to learn a lesson."

"Punishment? For what!" Amy yelled angrily, forgetting that she was nude. "What the hell did I do? They were going to burn me alive at the stake!"

"While the intentions of those people were dark, my daughter," Hecate said lightly, "the townsfolk were under a spell at the time. Buffy and Willow's own mothers helped light that fire; which is surely something that no real mother in her right mind would attempt-"

"WHO ARE YOU?" Amy demanded, cutting her off.

"She calls herself Hecate," Cordy replied, not knowing who exactly that signified.

Amy's eyes instantly went wide though, as the Greek goddess continued on. "You knew that there were mitigating circumstances, but still your thoughts were of revenge and death after you escaped that bonfire. Had I allowed Willow Rosenberg to restore you to your human form that night, the one called Rack would have later incited you to commit murder."

Amy looked away in shame, as she grabbed a pillow to cover herself. "I just, I could feel the flames...I just reacted to what they..."

"Dark thoughts lead to dark hearts, and whatever you do comes back upon you three-fold," Hecate told her protégé. "Know that you could still become like your mother, who stole your life and attempted to destroy you."

Real tears formed in Amy's eyes. "No! I, I'd never do that! Killing someone just to be a brain-dead cheerleader-"

Again, Hecate used her powers to stop the comment Cordelia would have made. "I have decided to allow you a slight reprieve." She looked at both teenage girls. "You two will be good for each other..."

A bright flash filled the room, and when it was over the human Amy was gone. However, there was no rat on the bed; there was now a small kitten. An American Shorthair breed of cat, with grey and black stripes on top and white fur covering its underside and paws.

Still silencing Cordelia, Hecate leaned down to be at eye level with the female feline. "Amy Madison, during the day - you will live and grow in this form. When night falls - you may resume your human shape, if such is your wish, till the sun rises again. I grant you also the gift of human awareness, during your time in animal form. And remember, I will be watching you."

A small collar appeared around Amy's feline neck. As well as a Pet Smart ID tag with a tracking microchip imbedded in it, just in case. The goddess Hecate picked up the kitten, and gave her to the still-mellow Cordelia.

The former cheerleader held the cat up, as she read the tag:

Amy

Property of Cordelia Chase

Lost Pet ID NS45303Q

Not wanting to deal with the loud complaints that the human girl would doubtless issue, Hecate used her powers to simply make Cordelia accept the arrangement. Because like it or not, the former cheerleader needed a friend; and for sure, at this point in her life, the brunette teen would never admit to any such thing.

Hecate then just transported them both back to Cordy's apartment, across town. That taken care of, the goddess removed the empty cage from the room.

She was about to leave to mentally suggest to Willow that Amy was safe and no longer under her care, when the goddess remembered something. "Ah, yes, mustn't forget that. After all, the girl isn't going to be making much money for a while..."

Using her powers one last time, the goddess created several plastic gift cards in a small case, and sent them to the top of Cordelia Chase's suitcase. One for the store Petco, for cat supplies and food; and several more for grocery stores around the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

**The West Winds apartment complex, Phoenix, Arizona. The same time**

The young intern known as Ben walked into the small one-bedroom apartment, after a hard night's work at the hospital during the graveyard shift. All he wanted was a short bit of rest, without worrying about the possibility of waking up somewhere in a dress - like he had over the weekend...

But he wasn't hopeful about the odds of that happening.

It frightened him greatly just how much control Glory now had over their timeshare of a body. And to be honest, deep down - he just wanted it to be over. Ben knew that the event which his so-called sister was waiting for, her chance to go home, was nearing. And he was finding it harder and harder to keep caring what the consequences for the world would be.

Even if that meant his own death...

"A dark weight has settled upon your heart."

Ben spun to face the source of the voice in his home. He was expecting one of Glory's demon lackeys; but what he got was a beautiful, redheaded, human-looking woman.

"I am Liva," the higher being told him. "I serve the gods Osiris, Yama and Mictlantecuhtli."

Ben noticed how the word 'hell' was not spoken in those titles, as being the host for Glorificus had made him well aware of the difference. "What do you want with me?"

"I am here to do this..." the woman said, right before Ben doubled over in pain.

His screams were mixed with female screams, as his body began to blur. Then another body started to stick out from Ben's side. Over a full two minutes, the form clearly became that of a blonde-haired young woman. Both forms then fell to the floor, as the separation was finished.

Glory, being a god, was the first to recover. "Whoa, that was a rush!" She looked over to her side, and only then saw that Ben was lying to her right. "Awesome!" she cried. "I'm finally free of that damn meat bag!"

Glory then turned to the higher being. "Don't know why you did it, babe, but I have to at least say thanks. I mean, before I kill you-"

"You will not kill anyone ever again, Glorificus," Liva told her.

"And why...irk!" Glory stopped mid-sentence, as she felt something strange starting to happen.

Frozen, she floated encased in a pillar of green light before she felt the pain. The light silenced the hellgod's sudden screams, as her body glowed red and the separation process began again. Only this time, the two items that were left were two orbs of color.

One a deep crimson shade of red, and the other pure white.

The hellgod essence, and the human soul that had been used to mask Glorificus's location within the earthly plane, were finally disentangled. Liva then watched, as the red light faded away as it was destroyed. The white-colored soul stayed suspended in the shaft of light, but then it vanished as well.

For the plan was that the soul was needed elsewhere, in the future.

With that task completed, Liva picked up the unconscious doctor and moved Ben to his bed. She laid him under the covers and lightly kissed his forehead, "Rest now, mortal. When you awaken, you will be free of your burden. And you may resume what is your greatest desire; to help the weak and sick of your kind."

**Sunnydale, California. The next day**

At 8:30 am, right on the dot, Cordelia looked around her now-bare home. Her belongings, what few she still had, were already on their way to her apartment in Los Angeles.

And that place was even worse than this one! Well, whatever. Only her basic personal items were still here in Sunnydale, and they were now packed in her car.

As Cordy surveyed the dingy apartment she had been renting after her father had been imprisoned and her mother left town, the young woman absently stroked the back of her cat. "Hard to believe, isn't it Amy?" the teenager asked the feline, the acceptance spell still in full effect.

"This time last year, I thought I'd be leaving Sunnydale to go to college - after convincing Xander to come with me. Well, guess one out of two ain't bad; and he's finally leaving Buffy and Willow behind! Took a splash of demon blood for him to figure out that he was just a burden to them nowadays, but what the hell - whatever works, I always say..."

Leaving the keys for the apartment and its mailbox on the empty kitchen counter, she closed the door and carried Amy outside. Cordy then walked to the car, and opened the passenger side door. Amy instantly jumped down onto the cushioned seat, the feline quickly making herself at home.

Cordelia then went around to the drivers' side, and got in as well. "Well, Amy," she asked. "Ready to see what the big city has to offer?"

Feline Amy meowed from her spot, before she curled up farther into the seat and went to sleep.

"Goodbye, Sunnydale!" Cordelia yelled, half-sad and half-happy, as she started the car and they drove away. "Hello, Los Angeles!"

The Hyperion Hotel, Los Angeles, California. September, 1999 

Marcus watched from the hotel's upper balcony, as Bethany easily defeated the Thesulac demon. Once it was dead, she began a cleansing ritual - while he went to free the old woman Judy's soul, and send her to her rightful place in the afterlife.

And then somewhere close by in the city, the half-demon called Allen Francis Doyle got a vision - about a new home, for him and his friends...

**Former campus of UC Sunnydale. October 1st, 1999**

"I can not believe this!" the soldier called Forrest Gates told his teammates. "We get the big sales pitch about being the best of the best, fighting the forces of..." he made air quotation marks with his fingers, "...darkness...and then a bunch of high school kids sent them all packing, before we even got deployed here?"

"Keep it down, man!" Graham Miller quickly told him. "We're still undercover!"

"Oh, come on! Who the hell's going to hear us?" Forrest gestured around, not seeing anyone even within shouting distance. In fact, the main center of the college was completely deserted. "You know as well as I do that our people are the only ones still here. And that the entire friggin' town is empty, man!"

"Any idea what they're going to do with it?" Graham wondered. "I mean, how many times has an entire town's population just up and left?"

The man named Riley Finn shrugged. "Well, after we go through it all and make sure all the demons and occult artifacts are removed, both above ground and below..." He stopped and looked at his friends. "Word on the grapevine is that the government is planning to do a compulsory legal acquisition, and use it as an urban battlefield simulator. Since it's a lot cheaper than to make one from scratch."

"Guess that makes sense," Graham said with a minute shrug. "All they'd have to do is just throw up a fence around it."

"I actually heard though, a cult wanted to buy the college," Riley said, making his teammates look at him sharply.

"You mean a 'virgin-sacrifices-to-Satan' type cult?" Forrest asked.

"No," Riley said. "Just your plain old, 'we hate the government and our leader is a god who's going to take us all away on a spaceship' kind of cult."

"Is that before or after they all drink the Kool-Aid?" Graham joked, before his pager went off. He looked at the screen, and let out a heavy sigh. "Damn. C'mon, Forrest, we gotta go back to help Angleman."

As his fellow undercover Marines left, Riley decided to make a patrol run around the perimeter of the campus. But when he got to the front gate of the college, he stopped. As parked along the curb was a brunette girl, yelling at her car.

"You stupid piece of useless, rusted metal!" she yelled, kicking one tire. "I should never have bought used!"

"Are you alright, miss?" Riley asked her.

Anya Jenkins turned to look at the man. "Finally, a relatively useful male!" She stepped aside to let him see her car. "My tire struck something sharp, and now it's all flat!"

"You're all worked up like this, just over a flat tire?" Riley asked her, surprised.

"No!" she said, upset. "I came back here to find someone, but he's just up and left like everyone else. He didn't even leave me a note - the nerve of the man! I ought to tear out his septum..."

"Okay..." Riley said, not wanting to go there. "Do you have a jack and a spare?"

"Oh, yes! Right..." Anya replied, pressing the trunk button on the key remote.

Riley went over and was about to take out the spare, when he decided to take off his jacket first. And unnoticed by him, Anya then took a very keen interest in his muscular arms.

( His hands seem to be of above-average size as well. Hmmm, and didn't Halfrek once say that that's a good indicator for a large penis? ) the former vengeance demon thought to herself.

Riley set the spare tire down, before he started to jack up the car. And Anya definitely seemed to enjoy the show. ( Well, now, he does seem to come from good breeding stock. And all of the indicators from _Cosmo _say he's got adequate-sized equipment to give me many orgasms. Plus I did come all this way... )

The now-human woman was suddenly glad she had decided not to wear a bra today. Which was the day she'd thought she would resume her amorous relationship with the one and only...Blayne Mall.

But since he, like all the other men in town had run for the hills, she could make do with this male specimen in front of her...

Anya let her hair out of the ponytail it was in, and quickly arranged it around her head and shoulders. And for good measure she unbuttoned her top two buttons, and pulled her top down just a bit.

Riley suddenly felt Anya very close to him, as he was removing the fasteners from the flat tire. From his place on one knee he looked over, and was very surprised. The girl he'd just met was now mere inches away from him. Finn could easily see down her top, her hair now framing the girl's face in a very pleasant way...

"Now," Anya said in a very sexy voice. "After you're done with this physical labor, I can repay you for your kindness. I have condoms, and I hope that you like the color black..."

When Riley's face showed his astonishment at her obvious come-on, Anya giggled inside her head. ( He looks so cute! If he gives me at least three orgasms tonight, I might just keep him. A good, well-trained male is so hard to find in the mortal world! Plus, I need someone to try that trick with the velvet handcuffs that I saw during that movie at the Fresno hotel... )

**The law offices of Wolfram and Hart, Los Angeles, California. The same time **

"Mind telling me why you just barged your way into my home last night, and now this meeting with my attorney?" the vampire named Russell Winters asked the young man leaning over him.

"Sure, Russ..." the teen paused, as the office clock hit 2:30 pm. "Oh, I can call you Russ, right?"

Then without waiting for an answer Xander Harris continued, "You see - thing is, I don't like vampires. That was strike one for you. Then you terrorize and stalk a girl I recently met, and almost kill her. That was strike two. But then, you tried to make a snack out of my ex-girlfriend last night! And trust me, ya lousy bloodsucker, that's for damn sure strike three!"

The vampire calmly set down his pen and legal pad. "Am I supposed to be afraid of you, little man?" Winters asked politely. "Am I supposed to beg you for mercy now?"

"No."

"Then why the big speech?" Winters wanted to know. "You must know by now that you can't even touch me. As Mr. MacDonald just said, I will never be accused or convicted of any crime. And you sealed your fate, just coming in here-"

"Whoa, back up. Because I never said that I was going to try to get you arrested, now, did I?" Xander asked the vampire, before he lashed out and grabbed him by the shirt with both hands. Lifting Winters clean off the ground.

And instantly heading over to the windows, despite the vampire struggling with all his demonic strength. "I got something else in mind-"

"Get security in here, NOW!" Lindsey yelled at a low-level lawyer.

"Too goddamn late!" Xander whispered, as he used his Primal strength to hurl Winters through the necro-tempered glass.

Harris watched from the ledge, as Winters screamed while he fell. Then he quickly burst into flames, and dusted. ( Good riddance, one less Nosferatu in the world... )

With a smug look, Xander walked back over to the stunned Lindsey. "You know, I could make a joke here. A lawyer working for demons, but then I'm just not into that sort of thing anymore..."

Harris left the stunned man in the room, rounding the corridor as he came face-to-face with the law firm's security force. "You guys better get in there!" he told them, acting like a concerned visitor. "I think Mr. MacDonald is throwing a fit!"

Not knowing who he was, the lead guard just nodded to Xander as he and his men rushed past. Harris then let a small smile reach his lips as he got into the elevator with a tall blonde woman, who was wearing a very short skirt.

"Hi. You're not Mr. Thomas's son, are you?" the blonde asked him, as the elevator started to descend.

"Nope," Xander told her. "Just passing through. I had to, uh, drop someone off."

"Oh," she told him. "Sorry, I'm new and I've been looking all over the building for the guy. But that's the work of a secretary, I guess; finding the client's son, who's most likely making out with that redheaded temp I heard he was flirting with yesterday..."

"I see," Xander said. He checked her name badge before telling her, "Some free advice, Megan? You may want to try looking for another law firm to work at. See, I just don't like the people that this place does business with."

"What?" the woman asked, but was cut off by the polite ding of the bell. Xander only nodded to her, as he left towards the front entrance.

A short while later 

At a hastily-arranged interdepartmental meeting of the evil law firm, the Special Projects division of the LA branch of Wolfram & Hart had just finished finalizing the plans for killing the executioner of Russell Winters...

When all of a sudden, the man called Marcus Hamilton walked in through the door.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said politely to the group of lawyers, who were seated at the table. "But I'm afraid this meeting's been cancelled. You may now all return to your regularly scheduled activities."

"Who the hell do you think you're-" one of the younger, less experienced lawyers started to say.

Marcus twisted his neck, and the lawyer fell dead to the ground. As the other attorneys drew back in fear, the liaison to the Senior Partners then said in that same polite tone, "As I was saying? You need to understand that Alexander Harris is now not just a concern of this branch of the firm. The Senior Partners, in accordance with prophecy, have instructed me to tell you that they don't want him dead; rather...dark."

"May I ask why?" the man called Holland Manners replied.

"Apparently, Mr. Harris has taken over the role that would have been played by the vampire with a soul, called Angel. As such, he's now the one who will play a pivotal part in the upcoming apocalypse. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid the fact is that you're all expendable; but he isn't."

**Insect-like demon dimension. December, 1999**

The appearance of Lucas was noticed instantly by the being with the head of a human woman, and the body of a giant spider-like insect. "What is one of your kind doing in this realm, higher being?"

"I am following my orders, woman," Lucas said abruptly, before he looked towards a seemingly-empty corner of the chamber. "Show yourself, demon."

The silver demon known as Skip shimmered into existence, in a waft of black smoke. "Uh, this isn't what it looks like-"

"Who I associate with is none of your business, higher being!" the so-called Power said forcefully.

"Normally, it would not be," Lucas said with great contempt. "However, I know precisely why you are associating with this...mercenary."

"Uh, we were just going to watch the Lakers game-" Skip lamely tried to bluff.

"Oh, is that all?" Lucas demanded. "And here I thought you had planned to manipulate the mortal named Cordelia Chase into becoming the host for your employer's essence, so she can be reborn into the human world. Thus making the young woman in question nothing more than a comatose shell, that will die within a year."

"How do you know this?" the creature that Lucas knew would have been called 'Jasmine' demanded, at once.

"How I know matters little," Lucas told her. "That the Trinity I serve knows of it matters greatly."

If Skip could have crapped in his pants, had he been wearing any, he would have. "You mean, Osiris and his buddies know that-?"

"Yes," Lucas told them both. "They also know that Cordelia Chase would only be the first to fall victim to your plans."

"Victim?" Jasmine cried angrily. "She will become my mother! The savior of humanity!"

"You wish only to consume humanity, while it worships you," Lucas said, as his face grew dark. "And you would dare style yourself as a deity-"

"I am one of the Powers That Be!" the insectile woman raged. "I'm the appointed guardian of the human race! A few billion human lives over the eons, along with my mother and father, are but a small price to pay - for them to know peace everlasting!"

"Did you think that I didn't know how you have been exiled from the ranks of the Powers, demon?" Lucas raged back. "Even the Trinity was staggered at the amount of death you wish to inflict. They are also stunned that a being they helped create would bring about such death in the first place!"

"Humans kill millions of their own kind in every war," Jasmine responded. "And despite their titles, the Trinity do not stop that-"

"Because that is humanity's evolution," Lucas countered. "They must see death, to know the value of life." The higher being looked at both of them. "The punishment has been decided. Both of you are hereby anchored to this realm-"

"Now wait just a minute!" Skip shouted. "I don't belong here!"

"You do now," Lucas said with a sneer. "And to make sure neither of you can attempt to activate your plan via others...you are sealed within this very cave."

"NO!" the former Power screamed.

"You will both remain in this place, for a period of no less than two billion earthly years. One for each death you wished to cause," Lucas informed them. "Your only company will be each other. And fight all you wish, for you will know neither comfort or death till then."

Skip tried to teleport out, but he was only gone for a second. And when he came back, his armoured skin was badly singed. "I warned you. There is no escape. Enjoy the fruits of your labour," Lucas told him cuttingly.

And then he vanished.

"Wait, please!" Skip yelled. "I'm just the hired help!"

**Vanderbilt suite of the Plaza Hotel, Manhattan, New York. January, 2000**

The Watcher named Robson, who had been destined to become guardian to a potential Slayer named Nora, closed his bedroom's doors to the outside suite. Five teenage girls, who were now all his charges, were playing around in the jacuzzi whilst watching some American television.

Going to his desk, he opened up his briefcase and pulled out the blessed rune most high-level Watchers carried. Placing the rune on the desk phone, Robson quickly incanted the necessary spell.

The phone glowed slightly, before returning to normal. And after placing the rune back where he got it, the Englishman quickly dialed the overseas number.

The rune was a necessary precaution. All phone calls of any kind - land-line, cell, or computer uplink - were automatically blocked from any outside eavesdropping by the Council. That, however, did not mean someone inside the Watchers headquarters couldn't listen in.

And this report, Robson didn't want Quentin Travers to know about.

#Franks,# his friend said as he picked up the phone in London.

"It's Robson."

#I see that you're using the rune,# his friend said. #Do you finally have something to report?#

Robson got right to the point. "Yes, I've found the Slayer. Faith LeHane, that is."

Only silence came from the other end of the line until Franks finally said, #I see. Is she dead, then?#

"No," Robson said. "Honestly, I did consider it. But it seems she's performing her duty to the best of her ability, sanctioned or not - and she's doing it rather successfully at that, I must say."

#Still. She's gone openly rogue and defied the Council,# Franks responded.

"Yes..." Robson admitted. "However - everyone knew she was damned unstable, right from the start. We also knew that she wouldn't respond well to authority-"

#She responded to Linda's authority rather well, as I recall.#

"True," Robson said. "But given her past, it was rightly decided that this Slayer would respond better to a female Watcher, rather than a male one."

There was an annoyed pause. #Oh, very well then, don't kill her. But what exactly is she doing?# Franks asked.

"Well, I only followed her for two days," Robson answered. He opened a folder in front of him with several pictures. "But both nights, she patrolled her adopted city with admirable tenacity. And Lord knows, Manhattan does have need of this Slayer's services."

#But without a Watcher to guide her?# his friend asked. #How long can she last?#

"Possibly, quite a while. I did see Faith and her companion destroy five demons and vampires at once," Robson said.

# Her companion!# Franks demanded. #Someone's helping her? Who?#

"A young woman, a witch it seems," Robson said, as he held up a photo showing a girl with dirty-blonde hair invoking a fire spell. "I've only learned her first name so far, Tara somebody. It seems she's going to college at NYU, since her first choice for higher education recently closed down-"

#How powerful is this particular witch?# Franks interrupted, wanting to know. #Could she aid the Slayer against us?#

"I honestly don't think so," Robson answered with a shrug. "I'd say she's slightly above a novice on the magical proficiency scale, maybe Level 5 at the most. Mostly, I just saw her cast low-level spells. So I suggest we wait till the time when Faith does expire, and then attempt to recruit this Tara - after her powers grow a bit."

#Noted. What's their precise relationship with each other, in your opinion?#

Robson held up another photo, taken with a very good zoom lens. It showed Tara with her back against an alley wall with Faith pressed against her, and they were clearly making out. "Well...I would have to say that they, ah, seem to be more than just friends."

#What about money?# Franks suddenly wondered. #Is someone bankrolling them? Because rogue or not, a Slayer needs to do something in that area to survive...#

"It's alright," Robson said reassuringly. "From what I've learned, Tara gets money for her schooling through some student loan or another. While Faith works at Scores as a bartender."

#Scores?#

"It's a rather high-class strip club in this city," Robson replied.

#Oh dear God!# Franks exclaimed, completely scandalized. #Don't tell me that the Chosen One is moonlighting as a stripper, for a bunch of useless drunk colonials?#

"No, no!" Robson quickly replied. "Actually - I heard one of the chaps at the bar asking when she was going to go on stage, as a matter of fact. But our girl Faith told him right away that she just tends the bar. It was a natural mistake - her work clothes are rather revealing, but not nearly as bad as they could be..."

#So, what do you intend to do next?#

Robson shrugged. "Attend to my charges, of course. And if the Slayer ends up in a position where she needs our help to prevent the apocalypse, assist her in any way that I can."

**Section B "Local news" of the _Courier-Journal_ newspaper, Louisville, Kentucky. The next day**

Local Couple Have a Miracle Child by Howard 'HoJo' Johnson, syndicated columnist 

_It began very much as a traditional fairy tale always does. Local residents Peter and Jamie Olsen married five years ago, straight out of college. And both wanted to start a family right away, but they soon discovered the unpleasant news._

_Because of a rare medical condition, it was thought that Jamie could never have children. The couple tried unsuccessfully for years, until what everyone is calling the miracle child was born to them last night._

_The newborn infant, weighing 8 pounds 3 oz, was named Connor Olsen. Doctors still have no idea how the couple was able to conceive their child, but apparently that matters very little to his ecstatic parents._

_"It's amazing," Dr. Martins commented about the new family. "I was sure that short of adoption, those two would never receive the baby they wanted so badly. But then little Connor came along..."_

**The roof of the Hyperion Hotel, Los Angeles, California. January 25th, 2000**

Shortly after lunchtime Cordelia turned away from the ledge overlooking the city skyline, to see the man advancing towards her. "Hey."

"Hey," Xander replied back, as he joined her on the ledge. "You know, I told you that you could take a few days off..."

The secretary-slash-actress snorted. "And do what? Sit at home with Dennis and Amy, thinking how yet another man I was dating nearly killed me?"

Cordy then instantly wished she hadn't said that, as soon as it came out of her mouth. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Don't be. I haven't forgotten what I did then, so why should you?" Harris told her, looking at the cityscape.

"No..." Cordelia said hesitantly. "Look, Xander - you, Doyle and Tina saved my life. Plus, you never actually wanted to hurt me; that thing with the rebar was an accident. To lump you together with what Wilson had planned for me...that's just not right. So I'm sorry for what I said."

"It's okay, Cor," Xander told her with a shrug.

"No, Xander, it's not..." she whispered, before she hugged him tightly. "Damn it, but I meant nothing to him!" Cordelia cried on his shoulder. "That slimeball was going to let those demon babies burst out through my stomach, just so he could get filthy rich!"

"He can't hurt you anymore, Cordelia," Xander told her, as he rubbed her back soothingly. "I won't let him." He tilted his head towards the door to the hotel's interior. "We won't let him, or anyone else, ever do that."

Cordelia looked up at Xander with pure warmth in her eyes. "I know. For a time last year, I didn't think you cared anymore. But now, for sure, I know you'll come for me. You'll always come for me."

"Always," Harris replied simply. "That's what friends do for each other."

She wiped her eyes. "Friends. You know - there were some days, before I met up with you guys, where I thought that I'd never, ever have real friends again. Xander...I know you didn't like it how that demon guy made you come here to LA, under those circumstances. But I have to say, right now, I really want to send him a thank-you card for it!"

"Can I still kick his ass, after you give it to him?" Xander asked. And it was not a joke, as the Zeppo was nowhere to be found nowadays. The constant attention from Wolfram & Hart had seen to that, after Doyle had had an idea to set up a detective agency as a front for what they did...

"Oh yeah, and I'll even hold him down for you!" Cordelia said with a smile, before she got serious. "Xander, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

She moved back, and propped herself on the ledge. "Do you think...Xander, do you think I could ever become like Wilson?"

His shock was clear. "Cordy, how could you ever even think you'll become like that asshole?"

She just sighed. "It's not the first time today I've wondered. Remember those guys at that frat house with the big snake, during junior year? They fed live teenage girls to that thing, for God only knows how long, just to get rich. And now, Wilson and his friends used me and those other girls as demon baby makers..."

Cordy pulled out a folded letter from her back pocket. "I got a letter from my mother today, and she goes on and on how she's trying to snare this rich man she recently met. And I find myself wondering, just how far would she go to get the lifestyle back? How long can she or I live poor?"

"Well, first off, I wouldn't exactly call you poor nowadays - not with the job here, and all the commercials you've starred in," Xander told her. He then moved closer to her, "And do I think for one minute that you could turn into those 'people'? No, no I don't."

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"Xander!" Tina called, as she ran to them from the stairway exit. Seeing the two so close, the woman said hesitantly, "Uh, sorry to interrupt you guys, but Doyle just got a vision. A demon's going to attack this old couple tonight, in the alley behind that new taco joint in West Hollywood-"

"I'm on it," Xander said, as he started for the roof access door - before he turned around. "Cor, if you want to talk some more about this when I get back-"

"Thanks," his friend said again. "But I'll be fine. Now shoo - go do your Batman-ish superhero imitation thing..."

After he left Tina turned to Cordelia, "Sorry, hope I didn't ruin whatever you two had going there together-"

Cordelia turned to her best friend. A much better best friend than Harmony Kendall had ever been. "It's okay, I just wish we could have done something about Wilson. He almost murders me and six other women, and we can't do squat to him?"

"Yeah," Tina agreed with her friend. "Somehow, I don't see this becoming a 'Ripped from the Headlines' episode of _Law & Order_..." The blonde's head picked up, "Wait a minute. Could that Wesley guy do something?"

"Wesley?" Cordelia asked. "As in Wesley the Watcher, from Sunnydale? Forget it. He's not only a lousy kisser, but the only thing he can do properly is point Buffy and her stake in the right direction and say, 'Go, Slay-gal, go!'"

"Only reason I ask is, because Doyle said Xander called Wesley this morning."

Cordelia had to shake her head. "Doesn't matter. Because no court in existence will ever accept that they tried to kill us by giving birth to demon babies!"

"No offense, Cordy," Tina said with a sudden grimace. "But I'll never get what you see in the guys that you date. Okay, they're rich and good-looking, but they're all losers! And you just don't strike me as someone who'd settle for that kind of guy..."

Tina missed the look on her friend's face, when she mentioned the men Cordy had been going out with were all rich. "I guess it's just habit, Tina," the brunette then answered. "Growing up, Xander was the only guy who wasn't loaded that I ever tried to date. And look where that got me!"

"Maybe I'm out of line suggesting this..." Tina started. "But you and him started out a tad rocky, when all four of us started working together. Though nowadays you seem to be pretty close, even closer than you say you were in high school? So have you ever tried..."

"...asking Xander out on a date?" Cordelia finished for her. "I've thought about it more than once, and I know he wouldn't try to hurt me nowadays. Well, he didn't try to hurt me last time either, it just worked out that way! But honestly, I just don't want to risk what we have now."

Cordelia quickly checked her watch. "I've got to grab Amy from downstairs and take her over to the Grooming Salon over at Petco, she's way overdue. Want to tag along?"

"Why not?" Tina shrugged, as they headed for the stairs. "But seriously, I don't know how you can live with a human girl that turns into a cat..."

Cordelia laughed a bit. "As opposed to you having a half-Irish Brachen demon for a boyfriend?"

"Doyle is so not the same thing!" Tina indignantly told her friend, as they left the roof.

**Los Angeles, California. A week later**

From the top of an apartment building, senior Watcher Carl Brothers watched the group of men as they walked to the SUV of Wilson Christopher. "Is that all of them?" he asked his second.

Bryce checked the faces against the list and photos in front of him. "Yes sir, that's all of them. No civilians."

"All right," Carl spoke into his radio. "The entire group. Go!"

Brothers and his second-in-command watched silently, as a dark van suddenly appeared and pulled to a stop right in front of Wilson and his friends. The young men started shouting at the driver, when the side door pulled open to disgorge eight men in black with guns.

Wilson and his friends were quickly forced into the van. And once they were all in, the men reloaded into the vehicle and it took off down the street.

Carl turned back to Bryce. "Radio the jet, and tell them to be ready to take off as soon as we're there. I want to be back at the Mexico office as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

**A monastery in the Czech Republic. September 1st, 2000**

"I do not understand," the head monk told Gabrielle. "If the Beast is, as you say, no more. Then why must we perform the spell to make our charge flesh and blood?"

Gabrielle looked patiently at the monks. "I know this puts the Key at risk; that it puts in danger the very item that you and your predecessors have protected for centuries. I can only give you my word that it is for the greater good, and that the Key will survive."

The lead monk looked to the others of his Order, one of which was his only son. "Very well. I do not understand, but that is not unexpected. It is not our place to understand everything."

"Thank you," the higher being told him.

"No thanks are necessary, for it was your order that entrusted mine with the Key in the first place," the holy man responded.

They all moved to a room with several magic talismans arranged in a circle on the floor. As the monks took their places and begin chanting in a dead language, Gabrielle phased out of local time and space. She had her own position to take, and role to fulfill.

Timing, as always, was everything.

After several minutes of chanting, a nearly blinding light filled the circle. The monks kept their eyes closed as per the ritual requirements, so they were not affected. Thus, none of them saw the green light pulse and move up to the roof of the room, only to vanish before it made any contact with the ceiling.

"Did it work, Father?" the most junior monk asked, as everyone opened their eyes.

"I believe so, my son," the abbot spoke. "I pray on all your mothers' graves that it did-"

"It did work, monk."

They all turned to see Gabrielle appear on the other side of the room. In her hands, she could hardly contain the ball of green light known as the Key. She quickly moved over to its ancient holding case, and set it inside.

"Yet again, I do not understand," the chief monk said to her. "You say it worked, but you have returned the Key?"

"They Key is not what was important in this instance," Gabrielle told him. "What matters is that the ritual was performed at the same time and location, as it would have been."

"As it would have been?"

"Yes," Gabrielle responded, turning towards the cleric. "Had Glory been coming for it."

Glenville High School, Cleveland, Ohio. October, 2000 

"Hi, Mom!"

Dawn Summers jumped into the front seat of the Jeep Cherokee, after classes were over for the day. She then adjusted her skirt, before dutifully putting on her seat belt.

"Hello, honey," Joyce said to her 14-year-old child, as they pulled away from the curb. "So how was school today?"

"Ugh. Please - school is school, Mom!" the youngest Summers woman responded. "But Misty invited me around to her birthday sleepover this weekend. Can I go Mom, can I - please?"

The realm of the higher beings. June, 2002 

Lucas, Gabrielle, Marcus, and Bethany walked side by side, discussing everything they had done for the Trinity. "I must admit, that I do not totally grasp the significance of all the events we have adjusted," Bethany said.

"Nor should you," Lucas told her. "Only the Trinity knows all the outcomes resulting from our work. Know, however, that we have given our champions a new lease on life. So many need not die for no reason, so quickly."

"But what of the vampire named Spike?" Bethany asked. "With no access to Sunnydale to retrieve the Gem of Amara, or an Initiative to place a chip in his head...what will become of him?"

"He is a wild card in all this," the most senior higher being admitted. "And he has free will, just as the humans do. However, I suspect that Spike will meet his end soon enough. As it was always destined, his consort left him for another demon. He may seek out his grandsire, and attempt to blame him for that. It has been in his nature thus far, to blame others for things that have happened to him."

Gabrielle considered something else. "And with the non-empowered potential Slayers joining Buffy Summers in Cleveland, she will train them - with no pressure from the First?"

"Correct," Lucas told his fellow higher being. "As the potential Slayers fight alongside the Slayer's group, she will learn to respect and train them as equals. As they will train the others that will follow."

"But what of the one called Caleb?" Marcus asked. "Will he still destroy the Watchers Council?"

"That is something that was always part of the Trinity's plans," Lucas said. "Sometimes, all one can do is burn away the bad to make room for the good. Just as the Watchers did centuries ago, to form the Council that now reigns."

"Then..." Marcus said. "If I may inquire, what of the human soul taken from Glorificus?"

"It'll turn up soon," Lucas answered. "The Trinity has sealed away the rogue Power and the demon calling himself Skip - but they wish to close off that particular threat forevermore, without question. And we all know that there is only one way to make sure that Cordelia Chase never becomes the mother of that so-called Jasmine..."

**Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. March 24th, 2003**

"AAAAAAAGGGGGH!"

The scream filled the room, as the doctors and nurses tended to the mother-to-be. "This is all your fault, Harris!" Cordelia shouted from the bed, as she grabbed Xander's shirt and pulled him towards her. "I should never have let you touch me, you son of a bitch!"

"I love you too. And you were the one who said that you were still on the pill-"

That answer caused the pregnant woman to pull him nose to nose with her. She growled, "You're blaming me for this? I swear - you're never going to put your hands on me EVER again!"

"Fine. But Cordelia, this is no one's fault," Xander said. Gently, he was able to dislodge her hand from his shirt.

Harris then placed her hand in his as the nurse said, "Okay, Cordelia, we need you to keep pushing-"

Cordy did the breathing thing, before she let loose another push. "AAAAAGGGH!"

Xander was very thankful for his supernatural strength right then, when Cordelia clamped down hard on his hand as she pushed again. "Come on, sweetheart, you can do it!" he said to her.

"Shut up, you dweeb! You're not the one trying to squeeze a damn watermelon out of your vagina!" Cordy screamed.

He looked sympathetic. On the inside though, Xander had to smile; as the fact was that the former couple had already been well on the road to getting back together again, before the night they had finally made love. The impending baby had just sealed the deal, so to speak.

"Come on, Cordy!" Xander told her again. "Breathe!"

"I AM breathing, you dimwit!" the blond-streaked brunette yelled again, before she started to follow along with him. "He, He, He, Hoooo. He, He, He, Hoooo. He, He, He, Hoooo..."

"And push, Cordelia!" the nurse called.

"AAAAGGGGGH!"

"The baby's crowning, I can see the head!" the doctor called out.

**7th floor Waiting Room. 10:25 pm.**

The entire group looked up, as the large wooden doors electronically opened.

"Xander!" Tina called, as she ran to her best friend's husband - as of three days ago. As in the end, Cordelia had decided that there was no way in hell she was going to have a baby out of wedlock. "Well...?"

Xander looked over all his friends. "Mother and baby girl are doing great!"

"Yes!" Tina exclaimed, as she hugged him.

"Yo, congratulations boss man!" Charles Gunn said, as he shook hands with Xander before Winifred Burkle hugged him.

All the rest of his friends including Doyle, Lorne, David Nabbit, Kate Lockley, and even Megan Cassidy - the former secretary Xander had rescued from a Pockla demon clinic - congratulated the new dad as well. "Man, I'm telling you guys - we've seen a lot of strange things, over the last four years. But I've never, EVER gone through anything like that," Harris told them in complete wonder.

"At least you didn't faint," Megan told him jokingly.

"I almost did!" Xander responded, in his own distinctly blunt and honest way. "You know, when they asked me to cut the cord..."

He looked at Ms. Burkle, whose presence was the result of an impromptu trip to Pylea - that to this day, still remained a nightmare for Doyle. "I'm glad you talked me into videotaping it, Fred. If I didn't know where the cameras were...I wouldn't have known." Then he added, "Uh, anyone want to tell Cordelia I had it taped?"

"You didn't tell her?" Tina screeched.

"I was going to!" Xander defended himself. "But hey, then she went into labor!"

Gunn winced. "You're on your own there, dog."

"So what time did the little bundle of joy arrive?" Lorne asked eagerly.

"Around 9:50 pm," Xander told them all. "Weighing 7 pounds 5 ounces, and 20 inches tall..." He went over to the water fountain, and took a quick sip to soothe his dry sore throat. "And sorry, but I gotta get back in there. They're going to move us to our own room soon."

The realm of the Powers That Be. The same time 

"I must say, that was surprising," one of the Powers said, as they watched the birth of Ashley Jesse Harris.

"Agreed," another spoke up, who was a male Power that had been demoted after Lucas's last visit. "Cordelia was not to see, or speak to Alexander again for the rest of her life. Let alone marry him and bear his child!"

"That was your alteration to the Trinity's plan, was it not?" a female Power asked. "In the original scenario they stayed good friends apart, only to become best friends when the groups reunited in England."

"Yes," another female Power said. "For some reason, you would have had Cordelia speak only to the one named Willow instead. I must admit that the choice of her communicating solely with the witch she once referred to as the 'boyfriend-stealing skank'...is something not easily understood..."

"Oh, come on!" the male Power replied. "She's Willow, all cute and spunky!" He changed the image on the viewer to the Cleveland Slayer compound, to show Willow practicing some fighting moves with the potential Slayer named Vi. "Everyone loves her!"

He then mused, "I bet she could have her own group, eventually. Maybe even her and Spike?"

The newly-appointed senior Power spoke to him gently. "Perhaps it is time for you to step away from viewing the human realm. Lately, you seem to have become too...attached."

The junior Power looked towards his senior immediately. "Can I at least still change Angel into a puppet?"

**Glenville High School, Cleveland, Ohio. December 31st, 2003**

Joyce stood at the back of the decorated gymnasium, watching her daughters and the others dance. Buffy was over by the stage talking to her current boyfriend Patrick, her second ever since breaking up with Angel back in 1999.

That was one of the reasons said vampire wasn't anywhere to be seen. Joyce thought for a moment that maybe he was off doing his own celebrating somewhere, but that thought left her head as soon as it had come.

She knew exactly where Angel was. Out on patrol, so that Buffy could have this time away with her friends and boyfriend.

Dawn was dancing with Mark, a nice boy who was in her home room. The younger Summers girl constantly swore that Mark was not her boyfriend, but a mother could tell. And it did Joyce's heart good to see that Dawn had found a decent young man to be with, at least for tonight.

Even if right now, her youngest was dancing a little too provocatively with him...

The potential Slayers Annabelle, Vi, Molly, and Nora were present with their boyfriends as well. And the one called Kennedy was with a lovely young redheaded woman, that she'd been seeing for a few months. The middle-aged mother couldn't see them, but she was willing to bet that Buffy's best friends Willow and Oz were also somewhere in the crowd, dancing the night away as well.

They all had gone through so much in the last few years, ever since coming to this new Hellmouth. However, Buffy often tried to joke it off by reminding her mother that they'd had only three near end-of-the-world events.

And one of them had been beaten very easily. Plus, the potentials were more than picking up the Slaying slack these days.

Actually, the only thing the eldest Summers woman didn't like to dwell on was her health scare. Joyce had decided to get a full checkup on a whim, upon the move to Cleveland. Her new doctor had found something, and ordered a few more tests. They had then found the tumor just in the nick of time; the doctors had said if they'd found it just a few months later, it would have been too late for anything but surgery...

Joyce had had to take it easy for months after that. Thus her working at a gallery, and not owning one. Though the place she worked at now was very upscale, and something she could never had achieved in her own little shop in Sunnydale.

The woman met people from all over the world, these days. In addition, her salary level and her dashingly cute as well as single co-worker made up for any feelings of loss over her own gallery back in California.

"Joyce?"

She turned to see Giles offering her a glass of punch. "Oh, thank you Rupert."

"Don't tell me you plan to spend the entire night over here, holding up the wall? It's already ten o'clock!" the Englishman said to her.

"No, it's all right Rupert," she told him. "New Year's Eve has sort of lost much of the appeal it once had for me, in my youth."

"Nonsense!" Giles replied, taking back the glass from her hand and setting it on the nearby table. He held out his hand, "Would you do me the honor of having this dance?"

"And miss the look on my children's faces, as we dance circles around them?" Joyce asked with a laugh, as she took his offered hand. "By the way, did I ever tell you that you look very dashing in non-tweed attire?"

The converted apartment suite of the Hyperion Hotel, Los Angeles, California. February 5th, 2004

"You want to invite your parents over?" Xander asked his wife that night, somewhat surprised. "Ah, but Cordy, you haven't talked to them in HOW long?"

Cordelia briefly looked away from her playing 11-month-old daughter to answer. "Xander, it is their granddaughter's first birthday."

"Sure, but you don't see me inviting my so-called family for the occasion," he responded. "You sure them meeting Ashley is your only reason?"

"Well..." Cordy looked down. "You know how they didn't approve of our wedding, or me having your kid..."

"Thus, the no talking to them," Xander said with a shrug.

"Yeah," Cordelia said, looking back at Ashley - who was giggling at the feline version of Amy on the play rug. "But there's a part of me that still wants my family to be proud of me, even after everything that's happened. I know you've been able to act like Harris's don't exist anymore, but I just can't give up after a few fights."

"Well, fine, if it means that much to you..." Xander sighed.

"Thanks, sweetheart!" Cordy said with an instant smile and quick hug. She then kissed her husband hungrily, and there was an intense make-out session before the couple drew apart. "And just wait till they see how successful we've become. I mean, we have TV stars coming to us these days! Even if they are from the WB!"

Cordelia then got up and picked up Ashley. "You must be hungry by now, princess..." Looking down at her feet she told the cat, "And Amy, why don't you change? I haven't seen your face in a week!"

When the cat seemed to pout, Cordelia responded sternly, "Amy?"

The cat meowed once, before it left towards the hallway that held Amy's bedroom. "Honestly!" Cordelia told Xander, who walked with her to the kitchen. "Sometimes I don't know which one of them acts more like a child, Ashley or her!"

It had in fact been over nine months since the young witch had been released from her geas, by the goddess Hecate. She had been free to resume her normal human life, fully. But very surprisingly, that wasn't what the Madison woman had wanted...

The deep friendship formed over the years between Cordelia and her cat had made Amy very...well, content. So she'd told Hecate that she liked the current state of things, and asked the goddess to not lift the spell on her fully.

It was firm in Amy's mind that she now belonged with the Harris family. As a member of it while in her human form, and as a beloved pet in her animal one. And of course while Xander had been stunned to hear that, Cordelia had pretty much just accepted it - as she'd always seemed to do with anything regarding Amy.

The young mother got it when her friend had said that she loved living as a member of a family. Her wounds from what her mother Catherine had done to her still hurt, more than she would ever admit. And Cordelia and Xander had assured her that Amy would still be considered a Harris to them, even if she was no longer a cat.

Amy, though, had made up her mind. She'd told Hecate that she wished to remain the family's familiar, at least for some of the time. The goddess had been rather surprised as well; so she'd asked Amy why she'd come to that decision.

The witch had told her that it was soon after Ashley was born. Her feline self had quickly begun to sleep in the baby's nursery, and like any other cat would have done, Amy had become fiercely protective of the newborn member of her family.

Also, Amy had argued that she wasn't a cat completely. She had been spending time as a human as well; the young woman had gone out into the world with Cordelia and the others, many times. She'd even had her own dates, here and there.

"It's not like I'm chasing male tomcats around the block!" the witch had said, and then grimaced at the thought.

She'd also pointed out that the time she spent in cat form, didn't seem to count in human time. Amy still looked as young as she had during senior year. And these days, she constantly had to redo her hair and makeup to make herself look older, when necessary...

If Amy only spent five hours as a human per day, she only aged five hours. In fact - she had freaked Xander out more than a bit, when she'd told him that she wanted to keep her age down so that she could still be with the family, when Ashley had her own kids for her to watch over. And given the way the spell was working, Amy might live for a very long time...

In any case, Hecate had decided to grant her free reign over the spell. Now Ms. Madison could change between her two forms at will, and at any time of the day or night.

In the end, it had seemed to satisfy everyone. However, when Amy hadn't reverted back to human at all during the following month, Cordelia had begun ordering her to change...

Xander had trouble thinking how he was going to explain all this to the group from Cleveland, when they came for Ashley's birthday. He still cringed at the reaction that Faith had had, when she'd heard about it...

The dark Slayer's group had been in town for a prophecy, about six months ago. And Faith had thought it was some kind of weird animal fetish thing going on! Both Cordelia and Amy had gotten way upset over that remark. And it had taken Tara, Faith's longtime girlfriend, to calm things down...

In the end though, Cordelia had silenced any unease that Xander had. She easily separated the cat Amy and the human Amy, and made sure Xander did as well. Feline Amy was the family pet that loved to play with their baby girl. Human Amy was a member of the family, and worked for Xander at 'Shadow Knight' Investigations downstairs.

"Hey there, angel..." Amy cooed, as she came into the kitchen.

She had quickly dressed, since the woman was always naked when she reformed her human body. She now wore a pair of blue jeans and a light-colored cashmere sweater. Amy quickly went to sit next to Cordy, as she started to feed Ashley the baby food. "Who's a good girl..."

Xander lightly touched his wife's shoulder. "I'm going downstairs to see how the guys are doing with the Bristow case. Those assholes at Wolfram & Hart have been too quiet lately-"

"Hey, I told you not to swear in front of the baby!" Cordelia said with a glare, looking up at him. "Oh - and have Tina come up, would you? I need to know when exactly she wants us over this weekend, to help paint her new place."

"Sure..." Harris told her, as he left.

But as Xander came down the steps to the lobby, he heard a voice he didn't think he would ever want to hear again. "But I'm her best friend!"

"Really?" Tina said coldly, to the blonde woman in the lobby.

"Harmony!" Xander asked, surprised. "I thought you moved to Miami, after graduation!"

The blonde Ms. Kendall turned around to see Harris walking over. "Oh thank God, Xander!" She ran over and gave him a hug, before he could stop her. "Your hired help was being so rude to me!"

Xander took a second to detect the human woman's heartbeat and smell, before he replied. For as said, the last time he had seen her was before the battle at Graduation. And only after confirming her status did he mention, "Well, to be fair to her, we haven't heard from you at all in five years..."

"Oh!" Harmony said, looking chastened. "Right. Sorry, guess I got so busy with law school..."

"Law school?" Xander asked, shocked.

"Of course!" Harmony said, matter-of-factly. "Once I saw the movie, I said to myself; 'Harmony Kendall, if Reese Witherspoon can do it, you know you can too!"

"Well, good for you," was all Xander could think of to say. "So, what are you doing in LA?"

Harmony switched to gossip mode, much to Xander's dread. "Well - my boyfriend Roger, he's only the son of the third richest man in Miami? He had to go out of the country on a trip with his father. You know, to learn the ropes of the family business. He won't be back from Columbia for over a week, so I thought I'd take advantage of the school break to head over here and see my old best friend already!"

"Ah. Right," Xander said with a hidden grimace. "Well, Cordelia's upstairs with Ashley..."

"Who?" Harmony asked at once.

"Our daughter," Xander informed her. When Harmony's eyes betrayed her surprise at that news, Xander held up his hand to show his ring.

"You married Cordelia?" the blonde ditz asked, surprised. "Wow...uh, no offense Xander, but I would have thought she'd have had you buried in hot tar by now!"

"Yeah, well, we still have our moments," was Xander's succinct reply. "I'll call her and see if she can come down." ( And I swear, Cordy is not going to like this... ) the husband and father thought, as he went behind the counter to the wall intercom.

Outside the Hyperion Hotel. A bit later 

The vampire waited.

He was good at that, these days. He had been watching his targets from the roof of the 'King of the Juice Bar' for two days. And he had seen several people going in and out of the old hotel, over the last 48 hours.

"Unbelievable!" he said to himself, as the soulless demon took a drag on his cigarette. "The Slayer's idiot sidekick now fancies 'imself a bloody demon hunter? What a joke..."

The undead creature known as Spike growled at the mere idea that the human could be any threat to him. Because he had easily taken the little wanker out back in Sunnyhell, when he'd tried to force the redheaded witch to cast that bloody love spell on Dru! ( The crazy bint... )

But alas, his mad Drusilla was no longer his, which fact had stung William's unbeating heart greatly. And given how she was now going from demon to demon...

Spike vamped out, and growled again.

Because Harris had been a part of their falling out. Not a big part, granted, but a part nonetheless.

Drusilla had gone on for months how her 'kitten' had had his heart torn out by the Slayer and the witch. There had been details that Spike hadn't wanted to hear, instead of visions of a laughing Buffy all around her childe; and Dru had spoken that Xander would come to her one day...

But this vampire was now going to make damned sure that that wasn't ever going to happen. And then he was going to head on over to the new Hellmouth, to take out Angelus and his bitch of a Slayer - like he should have done years ago!

During his time watching, Spike had seen the whelp and his woman playing with their nauseating offspring in the small garden outside the Hyperion. And the British undead could not for the unlife of him understand how a waste of space like Droopy Boy could marry, let alone impregnate, a scrumptious piece of arse like that...

He had snuck onto the roof of the hotel and watched through the bathroom skylight, as the wife had taken a long hot bath. She'd never known he was watching her wet naked form, as she read her stupid fashion magazines...

That was why Spike knew he could definitely have some fun with the former cheerleader.

And he would too, but first he had to do one thing that he had learned from his dear old ponce of a grandsire. Take away everything that she held dear, and drive her as mad as his Dru was. He would leave enough clues to make the fraud of a demon hunter think he was after him, and the sodding git would go off on a wild goose chase while he snuck in and grabbed his prize...

Oh, of course he wouldn't turn the loudmouthed Prom Queen right away. A piece of fruit was best served fresh, after all, and it would take time to break her. Even his short time of watching had shown Spike this one's temper and independence.

Her screams would be more erotic than watching her bathe had ever been. He would tape it all, too. Then send the tapes to Harris, and let him watch as he sired the woman - as well as send her after him...

And as luck would have it, tonight presented a golden opportunity to set it all in motion. That bloody pathetic group of employees had all gone home for the night. Then Spike smiled with glee, as he watched his target couple leave with the blonde that had showed up a few hours ago.

Hyperion lobby. A few minutes later 

From the check-in counter, Fred looked through the window into the office containing the small crib. She had gladly said yes when Cordy asked if she could baby-sit; on account of she had to catch up on some of her own work, and she was the only other person who lived in the hotel anyway.

The banging on the front door caused her to quickly move to the front of the lobby. She saw a mildly attractive man through the glass, "I'm sorry sir, but we're clos-"

"Please, you have to help me!" the peroxide-blonde guy cried out in a British accent. "There are these...things after me! Something weird's going on with their faces, they-they have fangs!"

( Looks like Xander and Cordy are getting out of that dinner tonight, after all... ) Fred thought, as she quickly unlocked the door. And since only the upper floor of the hotel was a private residence, Spike was able to come right in. "Thank you! I don't know what I did to piss those, uh, people off..."

"It's all right, calm down," Fred instructed as she relocked the door. "Did they say who they were? Did you get a name?"

"No!" Spike said overdramatically. "They just called me a walking Happy Meal! And yours was the only place I could see with any lights on..."

"Okay, just calm down," Fred told him, as she turned her back and went for the phone. "I'll call my boss, and he...mmph!" She tried to struggle as the white cloth covered her mouth.

"That's right, luv, just go to sleep," Spike told her smoothly. He held her firmly, as her eyes rolled back and Fred went limp. The vampire then dumped her onto the round couch. He subsequently shrugged, and on a whim lifted up the Texan girl's shirt.

"Not bad," William said to himself. "I might keep ya alive till morning, at that. But fer now," he purred, looking through the open door to the office. "I need to 'ave meself a little snack..."

She had been exploring in the corridors off of the lobby, when she first smelled it. ( Cigarette smoke? ) Feline Amy thought, horrified. ( But no one's been allowed to smoke in here, ever since Ashley was born! )

As she was nearing the lobby, she smelt other things. Leather, and very bad cologne. As well as the stench of death that her cat nose could easily pick out. ( A vampire? )

Amy Madison bolted, as fast as her four legs could carry her.

Spike flipped on the lights, as he swaggered into the office. And as he reached the crib, the little girl inside started to cry. "There, there, nibblet...it's alright, Uncle Spike's 'ere!"

He yanked off the cover off the child. "Now then," he said, as he scratched his chin. "How many pieces do we want to leave you in for your mum and dad to find, hmm?"

"Vampire!"

Spike spun to back to the door. "Well, this is interesting," he said mockingly.

For standing in the office doorway was a naked teenage girl, with some sort of a collar around her neck.

"My, my. Gotta admit, I didn't know the whelp was into that sort o' thing! Still, I should 'ave figgered you as his type. You like havin' the bad man control you, then? Well, after I'm..." Spike trailed off, as her eyes turned completely black.

Amy raised her palm at him, and Spike found himself floating a foot off the floor. "Bloody hell! You're a witch? Where'd you come from?"

The former cat didn't answer, as she backed out into the lobby. And as she did so, the vamp floated out of the room with her.

"Now look, I'm sure we can come to some sorta...oy!" Spike yelled at the girl, as he floated higher up. "Lemme go, little lady, and I might just let you live," he tried to bluff.

"Vampire," Amy said, with a hollow voice that seemed to echo. "The goddess warned me that I might be consumed by the darkness. But it doesn't control me as it might have..."

"That's great, pet," Spike said, looking at the black-eyed girl. "Don't have a clue what you're buggerin' on about, but I get it that no one likes to go to bloody Darth Vader these days-"

The witch continued as if he hadn't spoken. "The love of my companions have taken most of the darkness from me." A cruel smile came to her lips. "I only unleash it when my family is threatened!"

Spike looked around frantically, as he felt the sudden warmth. "What are ya...no!" He screamed as his legs burst into flames. Hovering in mid-air, Spike tried to swat out the flames. "Okay! I get it! I won't ever go near the little bit again!"

"Yes," Amy said, in that hollow voice that sent shivers down his spine. "You won't."

The fire then quickly spread to the rest of his body. And Amy just stood there, listening to his screams. She prolonged it slightly; it took over two minutes for the feared English vampire to finally turn into ashes. The fire then vanished, as soon as William the Bloody did.

With another flick of her hand, a wastebasket flew from behind the counter to right below the floating dust cloud. A mild gesture released the dust, causing it to fall perfectly into the trash. Then the basket floated back over to its original spot.

And that was that. Nearly 124 years of murder and mayhem, over and forgotten in an instant.

The witch looked to the still form of her friend on the couch. "Awaken," she said to Fred, before she walked back to the office.

When Amy neared the crib, her eyes returned to their natural state. Her face lost its cruel sneer, when she looked over the top of the crib. "Hey there, Ashley, it's okay..." she cooed to the baby. "The nasty man is gone now." She picked up the baby, and started to gently rock her.

Fred met her at the office door. The brunette woman was holding her head, "Oh...Amy? What happened?" she asked, as the physicist saw the redheaded woman naked and cradling little Ashley. "Where's that guy who came in just now?"

"Gone," Amy said, without looking up. Her eyes stayed on Ashley's, as the child finally calmed down. "Fred, call Cordy and Xander. Tell them to get back here, they'll want to know what's happened."

"Right," Fred said, still unsure of what had happened, but then she stopped. "Uh, do you smell something burning?"

"Just. Call. Them," Amy said sternly.

Fred ran over to the phone on the closest desk. And Amy walked over to the round couch and sat down, as she stroked Ashley's soft hair. "No one hurts my family..."

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The same time 

Below the equator, it was an entirely different world.

It was summer here, instead of the dying winter in the northern hemisphere. And the vampiress called Drusilla was enjoying communing with nature and the stars...

When she started to hear the whispers in her head.

Dru fell down in a faint, staring at the moon as images began to appear in her undead brain.

_The unmistakable seal of the Circle of the Black Thorn. They who were the direct instruments of the Senior Partners, in this world._

_The slaughter of all the members of the Black Thorn, and the Wolf, Ram and Hart becoming enraged enough to send an army of demons against her kitten and his soldiers for that._

_Then another army coming to the kitten's aid. Led by that horrible Slayer who would have taken away her William. As well as that other nasty temptress Slayer, the foul-smelling blonde witch, the wicked redheaded witch who had lightning flying out of her fingers, the bad doggie who loved her, and worst of all...the Angel-beast..._

_A clash of the titans. The demons getting massacred._

_The puppy, the kitten and the Angel-beast getting empowered by that unspeakable trio from up above, thanks to the redhead, to directly fight the Wolf, Ram and Hart - who were now defenseless, from their own arrogance..._

_The triune beast laying dead. And - oh! Her Daddy was no longer her Daddy! Shanshu, shusan, shih tzu..._

( No, no, no! It mustn't be like that! ) "My precious Spoike is dead! Dead, dead, dead he is!" Drusilla cried out, as she got up.

"That's true enough, luv," a male voice said from behind her.

Dru whirled around, but the insane undead wasn't fooled for a moment by the perfect image of William the Bloody.

"Still, don't worry. Pretty soon, ducks, we'll make 'em ALL pay for that," the First Evil said, with a genuine smile upon Spike's lips.

Drusilla instantly clapped her hands in delight.

The End...

For now.


End file.
